Finding Daybreak
by Ashli28
Summary: Just what the characters of the L.J.Smith series: Night World did after their books and before getting to Circle Daybreak later, starts with Poppy and James, then Thea and Eric then Ash etc.PLEASE R&R, even if you don't like it! criticism welcomed...
1. Poppy and James

Finding Daybreak – Poppy and James.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction, but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Poppy and James, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Thea and Eric :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Secret Vampire. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

"Dad, I know you're surprised to see James and me here, I mean, I know you think I'm dead; you came to my funeral and all, so you must think I'm dead, but I'm not… I'm a vampire…" Poppy shook her head thoughtfully, "no, I can't break it to him like that, he'll lock the doors and bolt…" Poppy sighed, then reached for the CD player in the car. Although she and James usually agreed on their taste in music, she drew the line at this…stuff… whatever it was…

"Hey!" James slapped her hand away, and she stuck her tongue out at him, "Oh very mature." She hit him, even though she was now a vampire and had considerable strength, it didn't make him flinch, "Oh, and Poppy? I've found that people wont believe anything you tell them unless you show them first."

Poppy was aout to indignantly argue that she believed everything he'd ever told her, (including that the teacher was a dragon who ate human kids) without him having to prove it first, but then she remembered a certain time, in the darkened hospital room, knowing that she was going to die, when he first announced he was a vampire. What had she done? Something awful, she didn't doubt…

"You called me a bastard and threw a stack of trays at me, I seem to recall" James said, reading her mind, or was she just projecting? Poppy hadn't been able to tell the difference yet. James was planning to take her back to meet Thea for real after they'd gotten settled at Poppy's dads. James told Poppy that Thea didn't hate humans anywhere near as much as the other night people, but that she did hold them in some contempt because of the burning times – no witch could forget them. However, since Poppy wasn't strictly human, he thought Thea would be able to help her with her witch powers.

"Why not Blaise?" she had asked at the time, and James had shuddered at the thought.

"using Blaise to teach you to use your powers would be like using a meteor to kill a fly – it would work but you'd have a disaster after."

"what, you think she'd turn me over?" Poppy had asked, confused.

"No, I think she'd teach you to seduce human boys and drive them mad, conveniently letting you forget about that guy: James Rasmussen."

"James who?" Poppy had laughed, now she wondered just what he had meant. She'd met Blaise, and she'd seemed to like attention, but surely she couldn't be _that _bad.

"Okay. Hi dad, I'm your daughter. The one that's dead; only, obviously I'm not dead, because I'm right hear talking to you," she peeled back her lips and showed her teeth, "and that's how. Jamie – who happens to be my soulmate – changed me so I didn't die. Well, I did die, but now I'm back… no…forget it…stuff it… send it flying off a cliff – Jamie, you can do the explaining."

_Oh joy, _James rolled his eyes upwards, _how many lost witches have I broken cover to in the last few days? Well…first there was Poppy, then there was Phillip when he decided he just _had _to be an arsehole, and now there's Poppy's father – if any Nightworlder's find out about this, I'm history."_

"Jamie," Poppy's voice broke his thoughts, "I just had a…a vision, like the one I had in my coffin," he looked up and stared at her, "Ash?"

"No, no," she waved her hand dismissively, "there was that…that Elder – the one who had a party at his house, and he was in charge of…well…it looked like a meeting, I couldn't be sure. Thea was there, and so was Ash and a lot of people I didn't recognize, they were talking about the soulmate principal, and we were there. There were a lot of humans, and vampires and witches too."

James stared at Poppy, not sure whether this was some kind of trick of her imagination, or whether it was serious, he had heard rumours that Thierry Descouedres was turning away from the Night World and setting up Circle Daybreak again. After all, _everyone _knew that he had a human soulmate – Hana, from Hellewise and Maya's time – who also happened to be an Old Soul and kept popping back up.

"what was the meeting called?" he asked in a croaked voice, hoping for some strange miracle that it might be true. In Circle Daybreak, no one would care whether Poppy had originally been human, it would all be perfect and…hold up…he didn't even know whether it was true.

"Circle something," Poppy said, eyes clenched shut, trying desperately to think, then they opened, and intelligent green light shone from them, " Daybreak. It was Circle Daybreak."


	2. Poppy and James2

Finding Daybreak – Poppy and James.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction, but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Poppy and James, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Thea and Eric :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Secret Vampire. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

They were already close to Poppy's father's house, so they decided they'd continue there. But after that, they were going to have to go to Thierry's and hope to god that he'd already started Circle Daybreak. James mused as to what Poppy had said, 'they were having a meeting about the soulmate principal' and smiled to himself.

Thea, he could imagine having a human soulmate; she didn't detest humans, although he'd say she preferred the company of witches, but she treat them nicely and didn't hurt them; but Ash was different, any human mad enough to put up with his ways he felt sorry for.

"Jamie!" Poppy laughed, watching the cars go by. They'd played I-Spy and numerous car games, and now it seemed she was amusing herself by reading his mind – because he _knew _he wasn't projecting, "she may not be mad, you said people are soulmates even if they don't like each other. Besides, if Circle whatchamacallit is all you told me it was, then Ash might have changed by that time."

James nodded, hoping that gesture could pass as agreement; he still hadn't forgiven his cousin for what he put him through when he had thought Poppy was gone for good, and he didn't intend to for a long time – even if he did change.

"Jamie!" Poppy screamed, and he had to cover his ears in a desperate attempt to keep his hearing. Then remembered that if his hands were on his ears, and not on the car, that might result in death. For a human of course – the car wasn't made of wood.

"What?" he yelled back.

"That's it!" she bounced on her seat, and James started to get the idea she might be slightly excited, "that's it! That's it! That's it! That's my father's house!"

he followed her thin pale finger to the house Poppy was pointing at: nicely painted white, with a little picket fence, James parked the car and Poppy was out of it before he even had, running for the door, "Poppy!" James yelled, "Do you know what you're going to say?"

"Nah!" she called back, "but I'll wing it! I'll find something clever to say!"

The door opened, and Poppy's father: a red-headed man who was taller than Poppy (wasn't everyone?) but still failed to be taller than his son, poked his head out. In seconds the door had been flung open by poppy and she jumped at him, startling him before he could get a look at her.

_Poppy, I said show the man you were a vmpaire, not eat him… _but she wasn't listening.

"Oh daddy! I missed you! I missed you so much! I haven't seen you in," she considered, "God knows how long!"

"P-P-Poppy?" he stammered out.

"Oh yeah, you think I'm dead, don't you?" Poppy giggled, then shrugged, she pulled back her lips and showed him her teeth, her eyes turning a glazed silver, "I'm a vampire."

Her father fainted.

How could someone smaller than him weigh so much? James pondered as he lifted the man and half-carried, half-dragged the man that Poppy had proclaimed was her father to his living room, Poppy trailed behind, staring dejectedly at a stain on the carpet, "I guess that wasn't the right way to show him, huh?"

The room was small, just like the house, it may have been big enough for two people, but barely for three, James was almost glad they'd be leaving soon for Thierry's mansion, even if that choice may ultimately result in death; it was badly decorated too, the floors a dark green fluff carpet that matched Poppy's eyes exactly but didn't exactly go with the red wallpaper. James stopped. Poppy's hair was red. Was this man _trying _to decorate his house to look like _Poppy_!

The idea was insane, ludicrous – just like humans.

It may just have been true.

"I'm 'fraid not, Poppet," James shook his head, dumping the man unceremoniously on the red stuffed sofa and sat down on the chair opposite, "maybe you _should _have left me to do the explain."

She stared at him with shock on her face, she had obviously expected him to lie, and now she was annoyed, "well, no I don't think I should have let you explain. See, he only fainted, at least he didn't _throw _stuff at me!"

"Or swear at you," he put in helpfully.

"Or swear at me," she stuck her tongue out at me, James caught it with his lightning quick reflexes and held it.

"James, let me go!" Poppy screamed, only with the muffled hold he had on her, it came out as "Mmms hmm mm hm!" she tried again, telepathically, _James, pack it in, you big gorilla?_

_Gorilla? Nah, I think I'll leave your tongue here, and you'll go around sticking your tongue out at _everyone.

_Jamie!_

_Alright, alright, _he let go, then darted in and kissed her, they'd had so few kisses since he'd changed her, or actually – even before he'd changed her – and this was like pure bliss. Had Poppy's father not been unconscious on the couch next to them, he might have tried…

_No you wouldn't, _he berated himself, _this is Poppy! Not Michaela or Jacklyn; I care about her, I _love _her. She's my soulmate. _Somehow that only made him want her more.

He looked up, gulping with the thought, and Poppy was looking at him funny, "James, what are you thinking?" she asked, and he felt her mind trying to merge with his, as it had when she'd drank his blood.

_No! she can't come in here! _He tried to put up mental blocks, but Poppy was a strong telepath – stronger than him, and he could already feel the walls crumbling.

Poppy's father began to stir.


	3. Poppy and James3

Finding Daybreak – Poppy and James.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction, but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Poppy and James, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Thea and Eric :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Secret Vampire. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

There are _implied _things here

"So, you're telling me that vampires are real?" Mr. North was asking in a disbelieving tone. Not really disbelief at the two kids standing in front of him, telling this news. More like not understanding how he could miss this for so long, "and I'm a lost witch? Which is why I get visions?"

"Gee, Daddy, I guess you thought you were just going insane," Poppy grinned brightly.

He hit the side of his head theatrically, "I'm note sure I'm not. After all, we _buried _you…"

"And Jamie dug me back up!"

Mr. North turned a strange tone of green, "Jamie?" Poppy whimpered, "what's wrong with him? I'm sure humans aren't supposed to go green."

"I think that might just be he feels sick thinking of me digging you out, Poppet. Phillip turned a similar colour." Indeed, for once he could see the family resemblance between Poppy's father and Phil.

"Oh." Poppy looked at the floor, then opened her mouth again, "it's not just vampires and witches – it's an organization called the Night World, trying to keep it secret: there are shape shifters and werewolves too."

Poppy expected this to be a shock, and when her father stood up abruptly she feared that she and Jamie were going to be thrown out. Instead, he looked up to the light fixtures on the ceiling, "I knew it!" he yelled to them, clicking his fingers "no one ever believed me but I _knew _it!"

He reached down and grabbed Poppy's hands, pulling her into a strange dance, despite the fact there wasn't any music. James finally saw where his soulmate fit in, in her straight-laced family, and he laughed for the pure joy of it. Until Poppy pulled him too into the dance…

They were given a room. The small house only had two rooms and Poppy announced to her father 'Oh Jamie – he's a pussycat, really, we can share a bed without you having to worry'.

And so they were. James was struggling desperately to keep his hands to himself; he wasn't used to this, to caring about someone so deeply. He'd always thought he'd stay a bachelor through all his vampire years. It wasn't that he was mean to humans, not like Ash, but none of them _interested _him to stay with them longer than two months even if he could. It was the same with vampires.

All vampires except one that was, Poppy.

She came into the bedroom wearing a long T-shirt which only just covered her butt. James had seen her in it before and been able to control himself. Unfortunately, he hadn't thought of Poppy in that way then.

_Will not touch her, I can't hurt Poppy otherwise Phil would have been right…no, I don't care about Phil, it doesn't matter what he thinks, I just don't want Poppy to think he's right…_

"Silly," Poppy whispered, getting in to bed beside him, she kissed his lips once, _I could read your mind Jamie, so now stop being stupid. I _know _what you're like._

He wasn't sure whether he liked that particular statement, but when she reached over and turned the light off, he didn't care.


	4. Poppy and James4

Finding Daybreak – Poppy and James.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction, but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Poppy and James, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Thea and Eric :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Secret Vampire. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

Now they were back in Vegas, where lights flashed abundant, now that Poppy wasn't travelling with someone she didn't know away from her one true love, she was able to enjoy the strip, with all the lights, she 'Ooohed and Ahhhed' out the window, and James decided he may as well just go ahead and paint a big 'Tourist!' sign on the side of his car. People were looking at the excited vampire from the streets and laughing. She knew it, and she laughed too.

But apparently, there were only so many lights you could see before you get bored, and Poppy had reached her limit, "are we there yet?"

James breathed in deeply, even though he didn't need it, "Poppet, honey, sweetie, if we were there. I would have parked the car, and we'd be at the door already, you trying to charm your way in."

"Okay." There was a slight pause, "so _are _we there yet?" hesitation, "_well?"_

"No…Poppet…we…are…not…there…yet," James snarled, watching his knucled go white as he grasped the steering wheel.

"someone's getting moody!" she called, laughing, turning the music up loud, "Must be the lack of blood to the _brain_!"

It was alright for her, James thought with something bordering resentment, she'd _fed, _her father had been only too happy to offer blood to his now resurrected daughter, had anyone thought to offer any to _him? _No… now he had to cope with Poppy being all happy and…Poppy-like…while he slowly suffocated to death. But no, she could bounce around as much as she liked…

"Jesus, self-pity much?" Poppy taunted, "and you know, I got some blood from a deer, went hunting," she grinned at him, "put it in a flask to drink on the way here."

He didn't hear anything after hunting, God, was she even going to rub it in? that wasn't the Poppy he knew, the Poppy he loved. _That _Poppy would care about his personal health. Had done ever since she'd beat off he bullies in primary school for him, when the other boys disliked him because he was 'different'. And now she was going to rub it in that she'd had a proper feed when he hadn't? that she could hunt without feeling guilty, whereas he…on the other hand…

"No, actually, I was offering you the flask," he turned around to see his soulmate, tapping him in the shoulder and thrusting a blue bottle forward, which was tainted red around the edges where she had missed the opening.

He drank a few quick gulps and instantly felt better, until he saw Poppy's hurt expression, "I'm sorry Poppy, I couldn't help those thoughts, you know what the bloodlust is like…"

She nodded, she did know, although she'd forgotten. When she had been ill, she had convinced herself she hated James, even though she had loved him since she was a kid, because she couldn't think rationally.

"so, are we there yet?" she giggled.

"Yes," James said, going through open, metal-rimmed gates into the largest front drive Poppy had ever seen. She looked out of the windows at wonder at the well-lit gardens, brightening at the sight of the flowers and the mazes.

The parked the car by the side of one of those gardens and James started towards the door. Poppy hadn't even realised the car had stopped until she head his friendly yelling, "well, are you coming or just staying safe in the car?"

She grinned. Stay safe? Take the easy option? Her.

Like hell she was.

James had rung the doorbell, knocked the knocked, which was shaped like a lion's head, and practically pushed the door open with the force behind each knock, and yet no one had opened the door. He heard voices coming from the inside, and then a guy who couldn't have been older than nineteen opened the door a crack.

He was dressed in a suit and dark glasses, with a communicator visible in his ear, Poppy wondered instantly whether he was with the FBI or CIA, it had to be one or the other.

"Hi, I'm James Rasmussen, we're here to see Thierry Descouedres…" he trailed off when the man's expression never changed.

"do you have an appointment?"

"It doesn't matter, Nilsson," Thierry's voice was loud from the stairway, deep, even though his body was only nineteen years old, "I know what they're here for. I'll deal with them."

"You do?" Poppy squeaked.

"deal with us?" James fretted.

"You're here about Poppy's vision. Because she had a vision that I had restarted Circle Daybreak. She's a human who you changed illegally into a vampire, you're looking for somewhere you can belong. You thought Circle Daybreak might be the place," at their expression he chuckled, "you should really try and block your mind, Rasmussen."

Poppy grinned, stuck her tongue out at James, "see, he didn't get it from _me."_

James was still worried, if Thierry had wanted to hurt them, he could send out truckloads of security vampires before you could even blink, but he didn't seem particularly friendly either.

"The thing is," Thierry said, grinning, "you came to the right place." He turned around, talked to the man in the suit, "Nilsson, get Miss Poppy and Mr. James's stuff from their car will you please? Put it in suit thirteen."

"Stuff?" Nilsson asked, Thierry rose an eyebrow, "Clothes, personal items, CDs – stuff."

"Yes sir."

"That isn't necessary," James cut in, "we have a place to stay."

"Rasmussen," Thierry shook his head sadly, "excuse me if I'm assuming wrongly that you want to join Circle Daybreak," neither Poppy or James spoke, so Thierry went on, "I'm not normally here, but my staff remain here all year long, in these critical stages, Daybreak can't put up much of an opposition to the Night World, and the Council takes every opportunity to kill every agent of mine they find." He paused, "right now, my house is the only safe place for you."

Okay, I'm not happy with this chapter; but I'll change it – later.


	5. Thea and Eric

Finding Daybreak – Thea and Eric

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction (this is my first fanfic), but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Thea and Eric, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Poppy and James :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Enchantress. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

Chapter 1:

Thea didn't know how long they had been kissing. Really, it seemed as though time had stopped just for them; it didn't matter that Eric's mother would be wondering where he was, or that the Night People would be on the prowl in the darkness, the vampires most likely hearing Eric's elated praises to Blaise, which he yodelled in the breaks from kissing. She almost thought that one of them had to be sensible and that it should be her, seen as it sure as hell wasn't Eric, but – she realised – today had been a victory for them. Even if what Aradia said was right and her Redfern cousins had been finding human soulmates and surviving, it was a first for anyone she knew – including herself; she had a right not to be bothered with the tiny details any longer.

Draped across the front seat, Thea Harman dropped a gentle kiss on to the lips of her boyfriend. _Boyfriend, _she crowed to herself, _I can call him that now, without needing to fear the Night World will take him from me._ No longer would she have to worry about protecting him, even though she was merely a witch and most likely would die trying, they could go out together, be seen in public, just as long as she didn't let on that she was a witch.

She looked up and saw the clock, the green neon numbers announcing that it was four in the morning.

_Only six hours ago we were fighting Suzanne, _Thea reflected, then guiltily, _or seven in Eric's case._

She sighed and pulled back, "Eric, I think we need to go."

"No we don't," he argued, reaching for her, then – following her eyes – he turned and looked at the clock, "Okay, yes we do."

"Your mother's going to be mad," she told him.

"No she wont, we'll just tell her that we were out battling evil spirits half the night."

"your mother's going to be mad thinking that you're on drugs then," she teased him, poking him in the side as he started the engine, "because we're not telling her _anything _about the Night World."

"what are we going to tell her then, Thea?" Eric asked dully, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Just what you said: that I cant stay with Gran anymore, that Blaise and I were going to get sent to the other side of the country but we desperately want to stay together, because we're _soulmates…_"

"Nothing about the Night World, remember?" his grin was slightly ironic now.

"Even some humans believe in soulmates."

He had nothing to say to that, but Thea saw his mouth turn down a little, as though in a frown. It was an expression she recognized on him lately: worry. He had the same expression on his face when she had told him she'd be doing something dangerous. It was the same expression he had when she told him about the Night World laws.

"What's wrong, Eric?" she asked, smiling, "there's no danger any more, only Blaise and Aradia know that I'm not a lost witch, and they'd never tell."

"It's not that. It's the things you say; you still say 'Even some humans'… and I don't even think you know you're doing it."

Thea understood. She knew how insecure Eric could be, how sensitive, he needed assurance that she didn't think he was below her, that she didn't think he was below the other witches. "Eric, I love you, and I don't think of humans as vermin anymore…perhaps I never did…but there are still differences. Humans never understood the soulmate principal, really, were never taught about it, and yet they're capable of believing in it. Does that make any sense at all to you?"

He nodded, "I suppose, but I want to learn to understand the stuff you witches do."

"so that when I talk about it you don't have to get that glazed look in your eyes?" Thea teased.

"Exactly."

God she loved him, he was prepared to give up everything for her, even his own life…and now, instead of just wanting to be a normal human and trying to convince Thea to be one too, he wanted to know about witchcraft, he wanted to help _her._

"Say, Thea, I'm sorry but I heard you and Aradia talking and she said something about Circle Daybreak and for a moment there your eyes just lit up and…"

"You want to know what it is?" she asked, and at his nod went on, "there are two circles for witches right now: Twilight and Midnight; twilights mostly for witches like me and Midnight is mostly for witches like…well…"

"Blaise?" Eric guessed.

"Well yeah, but I think Blaise will change now, I think…she's shown she finally doesn't hate humans, but anyway… Circle Daybreak wasn't just witches, but witches who wanted to show magic to the other species, and if that came about again…it would just be wonderful, I could still be a witch, but there'd be no prejudice against us because your human."

Eric parked the car, and Thea had the thought that he was going to start kissing her again; her lips twisted into a smile. But now the half-frightened and indefinitely shy expression was back on Eric's face _he changes his personality so often…but I love him…all of him…_ and he opened the door.

That was when she realised that they were at his house.

Thea had only seen his house once before, on that fateful afternoon when she decided to tell Rosemund about the witches. When his _mother _had been listening and had had to come after her in the jeep. _She thinks I'm nuts, _Thea almost laughed to herself, _talk about not making a good start with the parents, now this crazy girl is going to move in with them._

For a moment she just stared at the house from inside the car, _what if she doesn't want me staying? What if there are problems and she sends me back? What if I have nowhere to _go? She was overcome by fear, yet when Eric opened her door and he saw the grin spreading across her face, she shoved those thoughts aside.

_Well. It's barely the most risky thing I've done tonight, _she abolished, then gulped as she looked back at the house, _Goddess, give me strength_.


	6. Thea and Eric2

Finding Daybreak – Thea and Eric

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction (this is my first fanfic), but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Thea and Eric, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Poppy and James :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Enchantress. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

Chapter 2:

Thea stood on the doorstep while Eric searched for his keys; apparently he _knew _he'd put them _somewhere _at _sometime, _which was all very helpful, but he didn't know _where. _Thea suggested in her calm voice that perhaps he should have put them on the same ring as his car keys, he said that he'd never thought of that. The worst thing – to Thea - was that he was being serious.

It didn't matter; Eric's mother must have been sitting up waiting for him, the door opened to the tall woman with silky brown hair that reminded Thea of the pictures of her own mother. Eric's mom was someone who most people would class as beautiful, but this night wasn't the day for her; dressed in a white cotton nightgown, her hair pulled back in a scraggly pony tail down her back, and her eyes were practically consumed by the black bags around and under them.

"Eric!" she yelled out, "what time do you call this? I thought you were only going to a Halloween party!" then she noticed Thea, she stopped yelling and looked from Eric to his girlfriend and back again. Noticed that they were both covered in dirt from head to toe, that their costumes were ripped and something like realisation dawned on her face.

Thea noticed it, and she felt the red blush crawl up her neck, _Goddess, she'll think I'm a slut now, _she sighed, _maybe I should have at least got a change of clothes from Gran's…_

"Mom, whatever you're thinking," Eric decided to interrupt his mother's expression, "don't. it's not what it looks like, Thea and I…well…"

"there was a fight," Thea smiled a small smile. She was used to this sort of thing, after all, she had never _exactly _told the truth to any of the Head's of the schools she was in, she had watched Blaise tell lie after lie, while Thea just didn't tell the truth. Now was one of those times. She'd change small parts of the truth to make it more human. Even if she did feel guilty for lying to this obviously lovely woman (she'd have to be to raise Eric, Thea thought) "over my cousin Blaise, and Eric and I had to stop it, and it got a bit messy." It wasn't a good enough lie to work on its own, but at the same time, Thea was installing her version of the truth into Mrs. Ross's mind. _It's a good job I still do have those witch powers._ "But Gran was there, and she became ill, and she can't look after me and Blaise any more, we're too much trouble."

She was surprised to find it actually did work. Normally, immunity to the powers ran in the family, unless it really _was _the soulmate bond that had kept Eric from falling into Blaise's clutches, time and time again, but Mrs. Ross seemed as though she was buying it, so either she was not immune or she was naïve. She nodded her head and smiled, then at the last bit looked crestfallen, she looked to her son with dismay, no doubt thinking he'd be torn apart when his beloved Thea had to leave.

"So, mom, can she come and live with us? She has nowhere else to go," that wasn't exactly the way Eric had imagined he'd ask his mother such a serious question, but it wasn't the way he had imagined the whole thing; he'd thought he and Thea would at least have a little while to come up with a plan before his mother woke up; she didn't normally stay up worrying about him.

"Well, I don't know about that, Eric," she turned to look at Thea, "don't get me wrong, Thea, you're great with Rosemund, and from what my son and daughter have told me, you're a fantastic person, but I don't quite know if I'm allowed to take you in; there are some factors we need to consider here. Of course, you can stay temporarily, at least." Her eyes crinkled, "at the moment though, I think you need a bath, and have you brought any clothes with you?"

She shook her head, _sorry, I didn't really have any time to get them in between the threats that me and Eric would have to die and the supposed drinking of the 'Cup of Lethe.' _"I thought that was a little too presumptuous."

"Never mind, my room's the one next to Eric's. you can get some clothes from my wardrobe. I'm afraid I might not have as good taste as you," the woman smiled, "but at least you'll have something clean to wear until we get your clothes."

"Oh, Mrs. Ross…I can't thank you enough!"

"There's no need to thank me. You make my son happier than I've seen him since before his father's death…that's enough for me," she winked, which only made Eric blush beside her.

"No, Mrs. Ross, really – thank you." Thea said, tears brimming in her eyes, batting away the information that Eric had apparently _not _been happy, that would only make her terribly depressed if she thought about it, "not many people would take in someone, even temporarily, and if you need anything, or you want me to leave, or anything, I understand completely."

Mrs. Ross smiled and shook her head, propelling Thea to the stairs, even before her even-more mussed son, while Thea was only halfway up the stairs, she heard her boyfriend's mother's voice, "Lovely girl…so polite…I understand now why you like her so much…"


	7. Thea and Eric3

Finding Daybreak – Thea and Eric

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction (this is my first fanfic), but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Thea and Eric, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Poppy and James :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Enchantress. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

Chapter 2:

Eric was embarrassed. Okay, so there was nothing new with that. He was often embarrassed; he had been embarrassed when he got caught staring at Thea so many times, not just by her, but by the few acquaintances he had that he actually called 'friends,' he had been embarrassed _for _her when he and his mother had listened in on the story she was telling Rosemund, and now he was embarrassed at the winks and smiles he kept receiving from his mother.

He and his mother were sitting, in silence, on the sofa, waiting for Thea to come down so Eric could get clean. Eric would bet every last penny he had that his mother had been staying up drinking cup after cup of coffee and was now on a caffeine buzz, because, even now that she knew he hadn't been slaughtered or murdered, she still wasn't going to bed.

He looked at his mother again – 'wink' – okay, that was getting annoying now. He knew his mother, outspoken and almost as opinionated as his sister, wasn't shy at all, and only did those kind of things to make light of his own shyness, but it was still irritating. The last thing he wanted to do was…well…scare Thea away, make her go back to the Night World and say she'd made a mistake.

"Mom!" he hissed across the living room, "will you stop that?"

"what?" she asked jokingly, pretending she had no idea what he was on about, her eye fluttered again.

"Winking!"

"Oh sorry, a nervous tick, in my eye."

Somehow, he very sincerely doubted that, but he didn't say as much; he was tired, but not tired as in I-want-to-go-to-bed-and-sleep tired, more like exhausted. He hoped Thea wasn't like his mother and sister and took forever in the bath or shower, because he not only felt exhausted, he felt grubby. And he wanted to get away from his mother.

_Oh god…what if my mother starts talking to Thea? _He buried his face in his hands.

"So, Eric, where are you planning for Thea to sleep?" his mother asked softly, "If this is going to become permanent, I suppose I could buy her a bed and she could sleep in with Rosemund," but a grin was creeping its way up her face, "of course, that probably wont be very permanent judging on the fact that you're both adults and…"

"Mom!" Eric hissed, "Please…just stop… right there." He thought for a moment, "she can have my bed."

His mother grinned.

"And I'll have the sofa," he muttered through gritted teeth, "Of course."

Apparently bored with the conversation, Mrs. Ross picked up a magazine and started leafing through it, she peeked over the top and smiled, "of course."

Thea was in her element. She had always loved nice smelling oils, and Mrs. Ross had a whole cabinet full of them; not one of those little cabinets that you hang on the wall and store medicine inside, but a whole cupboard full of them; she had been told to use whatever she liked and, although she didn't want to take advantage of the hospitality, they all smelt so nice that she had just had to use a little.

Now her skin was smelling beautiful, and – what's more – it was clean, she danced into Mrs. Ross's room, feeling right at home, and opened the wardrobe. Eric's mother had been wrong about Thea having a better sense of style, inside were flowing dresses and gypsy skirts that Thea would have thought belonged to a witch had she not known better. She pulled open the next wardrobe and found some jeans and t-shirts. Selecting (very carefully) a plan white T-shirt and black jeans (so Eric's mom wouldn't think she was being too presumptuous) and dressed quickly.

"Thea, what are you doing here?"

She jumped. Although relaxed from her bath, she still felt overcome by the events of the earlier day and somehow thought a witch had caught her. In the time frame it took for her brain to comprehend that one thought, she had turned around and saw a girl, a kid.

"Rosemund, thank goddess," Thea gasped out a breath, then hugged the little girl impulsively, "I can't stay at home any more, so Eric and your mom said I could come live here. Do you mind?"

"Mind?" the girl laughed, hugging Thea back, "It's about time we got another woman in the house. Eric's _way _outnumbered now. You can stay in my room if you want, as long as you promise not to bring any pretty pink crap in," she winkled her nose, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "or are you going to be sleeping in _Eric's room?"_

_That _brought a new flood of questions. On the one hand, they _were _soulmates…on the other, Thea just didn't know whether she was ready to take that risk.

"I think I can afford to camp out with you for a while," she laughed, ruffling the girl's hair.


	8. Thea and Eric4

Finding Daybreak – Thea and Eric

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction (this is my first fanfic), but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Thea and Eric, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Poppy and James :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Enchantress. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

Chapter 4.

Thea stared at the phone, trying to get up the nerve to call the people she wanted to call. She was worried. Not that she'd be recognized, because she knew for a certain fact she could sound exactly like Blaise on the phone when she tried, but because she was afraid of hitting a dead end; of having her hopes and dreams shattered.

She picked up the phone and looked back over her shoulder to see Eric watching her. He must have felt her anxiety through the silver cord that hung between them because he got up from the kitchen table and stood behind her, wrapping his arms tentatively around her waist.

The dial tone was working its way through Thea's brain and she wondered whether anyone was going to answer it, "Pick up, James," she hissed, remembering that time James had found his way to Gran's apartment. He had been looking for the gorgeous pixie-like girl that Ash had stole from him. Thea had thought at the tiem that she was a made vampire, otherwise why would she have let herself get in the state she was in before feeding on Thea's blood? She just never considered the possibility that James might have changed her himself.

Of course, he was James _Rasmussen_, and Thea could still hear Aradia's voice 'your Redfern cousins have started getting peculiar,' but James was a Redfern on his mother's side, and that was what witches counted: Thea was no exception.

When the phone had rang twenty four times, she slammed it down, then picked it back up and entered the numbers for his parents' house, his mother answered on the second ring, and Thea knew that Madder Redfern was a fantastic telepath. She kept her mind blank. Madder didn't like Thea much, thought she was a human sympathizer, but she loved Blaise. Yeah, Blaise was a girl after her own heart.

"Hello? Aunt Madder? It's Blaise here," Thea whispered in a sultry voice, feeling rather than seeing Eric blank in surprise, "Is James there, I've tried _everywhere."_

"James certainly is _not _here!" came the screech down the phone, "we don't associate with that _type, _he's practically vermin! What was he thinking with young Poppy? I know he changed her. No, we don't associate with James Rasmussen at all."

Well, that was a little extreme…

"Or Ash Redfern!" a man's voice bellowed, he seemed to be in another room to the phone, but Thea could hear the words.

"Or Ash Redfern!" Madder agreed, "what's the world coming to when vampires – Vampires! – have to find human soulmates?"

"Uh…well…Okay Aunt Madder thanks anyway."

"Anytime Blaise, anytime."

Thea could feel Eric's warm breath through her hair and she tried to calm herself. Okay, so Ash had a soulmate. _Ash _had a _soulmate! _A _human _soulmate! Thea felt her mouth turning up at the edges into a grin and Eric caught it, "what's so funny?"

"Just a vampire I know who has a human soulmate," she laughed, and once she'd started, she couldn't stop, "He kidnapped James's soulmate and was planning on turning her in, as far as I can gather, and now he has one of his own. Poor girl."

"But you couldn't find James?"

"Not a whisper."

"What are you going to do now then?" Eric asked dully, as though he doubted there was anything else he could do. To him, Thea having to struggle so desperately for an organization to use her powers was _his _fault. If it hadn't been for him, she'd still be in Circle Twilight – happy. _why do I always have to screw things up? _He wondered.

Thea gave him a strange look, as though she didn't understand, had he spoken aloud? He wasn't sure now, "you don't always screw things up," she told him, "apart from when you refuse to be charmed by love spells, and I _am _happy. You're my soulmate, how could I not be happy?"

"and what I'm going to do now," Thea continued on, smiling, "is phone Poppy's family. There was someone in the car when James came to us, trying not to be seen, but he had the same…_energy _as Poppy did. I think he was her brother. Maybe he'll know where to find them."

At that, she promptly walked over to the kitchen cupboard and grabbed a phone directory; she had discovered where magical things like those were put now…'North…North…North" she tried to think where James had lived, he had to live near Poppy. Didn't he? Then she found it.

"Aha!" the guinea pig jumped at her proclamation.

The phone rang four times and was then picked up by a man, an old-sounding man, and Thea hadn't really planned ahead, she didn't know what she could say to him, his voice was rugged when he said a weary, "hello?"

"Hi, it's Blaise," well that was a start, "could you tell Poppy North's brother that I need to speak to him urgently."

The man's voice became defensive, "Why bring up Poppy? Do you _know _my stepson, or did you know Poppy? Who are you?"

"I bring up Poppy because I have a message from her to her brother, but I don't know him, I did know Poppy – like I said, my name's Blaise. Just mention the words: Blaise Harman, James and Las Vegas and he'll know who I am."

There was a pause on the other end, then weary acceptance, "Phil!" he bellowed, "a girl named Blaise Harman for you, she says to mention Las Vegas and James! Have no idea what _that _means."

The phone was grabbed and a brief exchange of conversation went on between Phil and his stepfather, "I have nothing to say to you, I don't want to join the Night World. I don't want to join your circle. Just…no…"

Join your circle? What did he mean? Circle Daybreak? Or was he a witch. Well, well. If Poppy had been a witch then Thea suddenly understood the amounts of _energy _she gave off…but…

"Phil. I lied. This isn't Blaise Harman, I'm Thea Harman: her cousin," a hair's breath of silence, but he didn't hang up, "I think my cousin James Rasmussen found a human soulmate, and that she was your sister," there was a sound like the phone whisping through the air and Thea yelled, "please don't put the phone down! If I wanted to, I could have already told the council. The thing is, I have a human soulmate and I need to talk to James, do you know where they're staying?"

Silence. Thea knew Phil was trying to work out whether she was legit.

"I'll have to phone them and ask. I'll get back to you."

"Goddess," Thea said, putting the phone down, "the family of these soulmate couples are edgy," she grinned over her shoulder at Eric.

"I know, it's almost tempting to phone your Gran, isn't it?"


	9. Thea and Eric 5

Finding Daybreak – Thea and Eric

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: I don't normally write fanfiction (this is my first fanfic), but I think some of the stories need to be continued; I also think that Thea and Eric, one of my favourite couples (along with Keller and Galen, Jez and Morgead and Poppy and James :D), aren't wrote about enough, so this is what I think happens after Enchantress. Feel free to rate, or to express constructive criticism. However, if you're going to say something about my writing, please justify it with a reason. Rating is T but it might go up, there will be warnings for any 'M' rated content.

Brrring! Brrring! Thea looked up from where she and Eric were sitting; he on the kitchen chair, her on him. His hands were tentatively at her waist, her arms around his neck. There lips: together. She leaned down to give her boyfriend and soulmate what was going to be a peck on the lips before getting the phone, but he captured her lips with his own, and she merged into the kiss. _I was going to do something, have to remember…_

Brrring! _Oh yeah, the phone; have to get up, have to stop…_

The red and white of the kitchen table span before her, only joining with the pink hazy cloud that spread around them every time they kissed, or even held hands. It was beautiful, it was…them…but at times she didn't need the oneness with her soulmate. She just needed to think…

"Thea! It's for _you!" _an irritated little girl yelled, stamping her feet off the black floor tiles. She loved Thea and was glad that she'd moved in, but it'd only been a day and already her brother didn't seem capable of staying away from her.

Brothers. Okay, so technically she only had one. But she assumed all of them were like this.

"Sorry," Thea whispered, pulling back from Eric, and she didn't know who she was apologizing to: Rosemund or Eric, as soon as she'd left his lap, the hazy pink descended and the kitchen was normal again: from the steel appliances to the white walls covered in pictures of the Ross family. She reached out and grabbed the phone from Rosemund.

"I phoned Poppy. They were supposed to be staying at our dad's but he said they'd gone to Las Vegas, so they're actually near you. He gave me James' cellphone number. He also told me where they were staying. Apparently they're with someone called Thierry Descouedres. You know? So I phoned them and we had a big talk about you. We decided you could be trusted."

He didn't introduce himself on the phone, and Thea found that odd. As though they were old friends. The coldness had completely gone from Phillip's manner, and it made Thea wonder what James had said about her.

And she did know Thierry. He was on the council, the oldest made vampire, second vampire in the world after Maya. Yeah, she knew Thierry. But why would James and Poppy be there? An elder's house was no place for a human and vampire soulmate couple.

"Okay, thanks a lot Phillip. Did he say anything about…anything?" she asked.

"They talked an awful lot about a circle, especially when I told them you had a human soulmate. Said you should go down to Thierry's – he's started a circle. Do you mind if I tell you I had no idea what they were on about?"

She laughed, "Okay, I understand. Thanks Phil…just one last thing. The Circle…was it Circle Daybreak?"

He hesitated as though thinking, and she could practically hear his nod down the phone, "yeah, yeah. I think it was. Poppy had a vision about it, so they went to see Thierry."

Poppy had a vision? Well, that only confirmed Thea's thoughts that maybe they were lost witches. Obviously they hadn't known their heritage, or Poppy would have known who Thea was the first time they'd met.

"Thanks Phillip," she felt as though she'd said that a dozen times.

"No problem. Poppy told me what you did for her. Anything to help; I might see you later, I'm planning on popping down to visit Poppy."

"I'd like that," Thea smiled, and really meant it, "Bye Phil." She put the phone down before they could get roped into another conversation, then turned to her soulmate, "Eric, I need to borrow your jeep."

It hadn't took much convincing to persuade Eric to let her borrow his jeep. His hand had been in his pockets and searching for the keys before he'd even asked for 'Oh, I want to go get some clothes. Seen as I can't go back to the flat." He'd looked worried and asked if she had any money, she told him she had a credit card.

Now she was driving towards Thierry Descoudres mansion; she hadn't wanted to take Eric ion case- as unlikely as that may seem to her after talking to Phillip North – it was a trap and Thierry was just trying to destroy the soulmate principal. If that was true, she simply wouldn't let him get to Eric: she'd put him in trouble too often since they'd met.

A guy in clothes like the CIA opened the door and peeked out, then opened it wide, "Ah. Miss Thea, we've been expecting you," and a girl with shaggy brown her leaped down the stares, "Thea!" she yelled, embracing the girl. Thea and Lupe had met at one of Thierry's elaborate parties and had started talking, now, with this emotional display, Thea wasn't sure why she hadn't brought Eric; Lupe wouldn't let anyone hurt them.

Unless she was doing her duty to Thierry.

_Don't let your guard down just yet…concentrate, _she smiled at Lupe and the werewolf pulled back, "Poppy said you'd be coming, has been having a lot of visions lately. Where's your soulmate?" she looked down the drive towards the jeep, then saw it was empty, "oh. You don't trust us yet."

"I trust _you, _Lupe!" Thea cried out, tears making their way into her eyes, she brushed them away in annoyance, "don't be mad… it's just…I've put him through too much since he met me, and…I wouldn't blame anyone if they tried to kill us – they're only doing their duty. I wanted to keep him out of danger."

"Hey!" I understand!" Lupe cried, bringing her hands up in mock protest, "Thierry's like that too…with Lady Hana, his soulmate, and he hasn't even found her reincarnation yet!"

Thea was going to tell Lupe she didn't have a clue what she was going on about, but then she remembered, the myths that Thierry had met a girl when he was being changed, had killed her in his bloodlust, and had looked for her every century only for her to be killed by Maya before her seventeenth birthday. _So Thierry has a human soulmate too? Interesting…_

"And James!" Lupe seemed to be laughing, but she was so far up ahead as she started stalking up the lavish corridor that Thea couldn't be sure, "he wont let Poppy go to the mall for fear it might be dangerous!" she turned around and gestured for Thea, "well, don't just _stand there_! You want to see your cousin, don't you?"

Thea turned and followed.

Lol, sorry the Thea and Eric extract is sooooooooooo much longer than Poppy and James – I'll probably add some more Poppy and James later, but Thea and Eric are so sweet! Anyway, I refuse to budge from writing Thea and Eric fanfic unless I get at least ONE review, then I'll move on to Ash and…well…Ash. Or someone else, if people prefer.


	10. Thea and Eric 6

It was seven o'clock. Seven o'clock and she still wasn't home; she'd been gone since eleven. By four, Eric had been a little worried, by five his mother had to tell him to stop pacing lest he wore out the carpet, by six he had been reaching hysteria, now he had come to the conclusion that she had grown tired of him, had realised that she didn't need a soulmate and had gone back to the Night World, begging for them to take her back, or that she was dead.

The second was unthinkable. It was a hard choice, but Eric knew he'd rather have Thea be somewhere else and happy than dead.

He knew for a certain fact, however, that she wouldn't have gone shopping for eight hours without phoning him, without telling him that she was alive and well. She'd know that that would get him worried, that Eric would become a blubbering mass of nerves at the thought of losing his soulmate; she would have at least called, it was the kind of person Thea was.

_If she's gone to the Night World…she could have told me…_

He sat down heavily on the kitchen chair, moaning, Rosemund looked up from her homework and narrowed her eyes at him, "you're worried about Thea."

It wasn't a question, it was more like a statement, he nodded tightly, then looked away. No need to let his little sister feel his pain, she'd find out that Thea had gone soon enough.

"she told me to give you this," Rosemund mentioned offhandedly, reaching under her homework and revealing a pink envelope, "if she wasn't back by eight," she looked at the clock, "It's only seven," she put the envelope back.

"Rosemund!" Eric complained, but the little girl simply shook her head, a sly smile on her face, "I'll give you five bucks."

She thought for a moment, "ten."

"Seven."

"Ten." She was adamant.

"Alright," Eric sighed, "now give me the envelope."

She did, and he tore it open as quick as he possibly could, seeing his soulmate's delicate spidery writing inside.

_Eric,_

_If Rosemund has given this to you, I'm most likely gone – possibly dead – I went to a place that Phillip North told me was the Circle Daybreak Headquarters, but I suspected a trap so I went alone. Don't feel bad, I wanted you to live, or to escape whatever the Night World has in store for us, you might need to leave Las Vegas to keep yourself safe. If they trapped me, they must know about you also._

_I'm sorry for all this, I didn't mean to put your life in danger, never meant to hurt you, even though it's so blatantly obvious that I have. If you get this (as long as Rosemund hasn't given it to you before eight) I believe that their intention will, eventually, to be to kill me. You'll feel it and it will be unpleasant, but you'll live – you have to live. For me._

_Love forever_

_Your Soulmate_

_-Thea._

_XXX_

He stared at the letter for a moment, rereading it, then his eyes focused on two points: _Phillip North told me _and _you'll feel it._

He hadn't felt Thea die, and he knew Phillip North's number was in the phone book.

He was going to find her.

Thea walked through the door. If you could call it that, and generally she wouldn't. it was huge, an archway matted with black porcelain roses; the doors inside a deep wood so dark it was almost black. Thea took a deep breath before entering the room, cursing herself for being so crazy as to worry it was a trap, to leave Eric at home. He would, no doubt, have loved this place. She pushed open the door,

Something red propelled itself at her, and she had to wonder whether it was witch fire, whether it really _had _been a trap and she'd just been too trusting. She jumped back, knocking into the doors as they slammed behind her, feeling a little like a frightened animal.

"Thea!" the red thing yelled, and it was at this point that Thea realised it wasn't fire. The small girl bounced on the balls of her feet and looked up at her, "oh, maybe you don't remember me, I'm Poppy North! You fed me when Ash kidnapped me, haha."

Her breathing was irregular, and the air in this mansion just didn't seem sufficient, she was suffocating to death, especially when the pixie-like girl reached up and wrapped her arms around Thea, grabbing her in a tight hug that she supposed Poppy didn't know how much it hurt. Poppy was a vampire; Thea felt like she was snapping into two.

There was chuckling from the other side of the lavish living room, "put her down, Poppet." Thea turned to see James Rasmussen, sitting on the windowsill – passing up opportunities at perfectly comfortable-looking sofas with red silk cushions, he smiled at her, "Hi cuz, you got yourself one of them too?"

"Mine hurts less," she breathed out in between gasps, "and he's male."

Poppy giggled, "sorry, sorry, I get a little over excited sometimes, and James told me all about you, and I feel like I've known you forever and where is he?"

"I'm right over here, Poppet," James called.

"Not you, I'm talking about thingamabob, what's his name?"

"Eric. I left him at home," Thea paused, unsure of what to say, _Because I suspected you were leading me to my death _didn't sound very friendly, "I wasn't sure whether Circle Daybreak was legitimate."

"Oh Jamie had the same problem when I had my vision."

Thea felt her right eyebrow move up involuntarily, Phillip had said something about visions too, "Vision?"

James opened his mouth to speak, Poppy talked instead, "oh, I'm a lost witch thingamajig, actually, I was wondering if you could teach me some stuff, seen as Jamie said you were one of the best witches because you're a whatchamacallit of Hellewise, or whoever."

Thea laughed, it was a good job Poppy was only a lost witch, otherwise saying stuff like that would be like treason to the witch circles, she found herself nodding. Poppy's crazy enthusiasm seemed to be catching.

"Oh that's so cool! I'm so glad there's another woman in the house," she winked at Thea, "I can't do girly stuff with him," she gestured to James, "he always complains when I drag him shopping or try to straighten his hair, and the guards just don't seem interested," she rolled her eyes, "we can have girl talk late at night and do each other's hair and…"

Thea tuned out of the conversation, this girl seemed to be thinking they were going to be living together, "what are you talking about."

"Oh, Thierry hasn't told you?"

Thea was about to agree when James suddenly stiffened noticeably, Poppy cocked her head to the side and listened, Thea couldn't hear a thing, but that might have been because she wasn't a vampire.

James looked out of the window and then turned back to the girls, "there's trouble, I think, someone's arguing with Nilsson, trying to get inside."

"Just one person?" Poppy asked, relaxing visibly.

"I can only see one, doesn't mean there isn't more than him. Oh Goddess, he's inside."

Now Thea could hear the niose both vampires could hear long before, "What have you done with Thea? where is she? If you've hurt her, I swear!…"

_Eric, you fool. _He was too brave for his own good, it was a thin white line between courage and stupidity – he just crossed it. Thea groaned and hit her head off her knee. The watch said ten to eight, she should have known not to trust Rosemund to give him the note _on time._

There was quiet for a while, and then he was in the living room, picking her up, twirling her around, kissing her. "Pack it in!" she ordered.

"Your soulmate, I presume?" James asked solemnly, trying to stifle his laughter.

"Yeah," Thea blushed, so did Eric, "Eric, this is Poppy," she gestured to the girl, "and James, my cousin. Poppy, James; Eric, my soulmate." She frowned a moment, "he's not usually so…"

"Loud?" James put in.

"Mad?" Poppy giggled.

"either of them will do," Thea laughed while Eric just kept right on blushing, "so what's this that Thierry hasn't told me?"

Poppy stopped giggling abruptly, glanced at James, then back at Thea and Eric, "we have to stay here, where we're protected," she sighed softly, "we're all in terrible danger, if anyone finds us… some witches know about you Thea, you know some do – or suspect – they could still come for you."

"We have to stay here?" Eric asked, repeating Poppy.

"If you join Circle Daybreak, which is really the only place you can be…well…you… then yes."

Eric nodded, "Okay."

"what about Davis?" Thea asked, grabbing his arm. She wanted to stay at Thierry's mansion, even though it was so lushly decorated and expensive that she didn't think she could ever get used to it. She wanted to help Circle Daybreak, but Eric had already done so much for her, she couldn't ask him to give up his whole _life. _

"what about it?"

"you wouldn't be able to go, wouldn't be able to become a vet," Thea looked at the floor, "I don't want to ruin your life."

"That doesn't matter, as long as we're together," he said, momentarily forgetting the other couple in the room, before Poppy started making kissing noises with her lips and James started rolling his eyes.

Thea nodded once, then turned to the others, who were still gesturing behind their backs, "so, where is Thierry?"


	11. Ash and MaryLynette

Finding Daybreak – Ash and Mary-Lynette.

Disclaimer: None of the characters or ideas are mine, all belonging to L. J. Smith. However, the sequence of events is my own portrayal of the story and should not be copied without permission.

Author's note: this is a continuation of Daughters of Darkness how I believe it happened. The first few parts of this (even though it says 'Ash and Mary-Lynette' will be both their point of views but individually. I'll be reuniting them later.

Chapter 1.

Ash rolled over in bed, groaning. It was a feeling he got often, this dismaying nausea and the left over beating from nightclubs; it hurt to think, so he did what he normally did after a night of partying, he grabbed Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' and begun reading.

It was a morning like any other Sunday morning, he felt dead, a useless lump lying on the hotel-room bed, wrapped in the comfortable silk sheets, every limb on his body hurting, every sense dulled. This time, however, the words on the page in front of him dulled, and Ash had to wonder what was so different.

Then he remembered.

Mary-Lynette… the promise…

Last night, he hadn't gone to the Black Iris club with the intention of wrecking whatever remaining brain cells he had, that was the first thing that had made it different to any other Saturday night.

The second thing was that he'd taken – how many? – two? Three? Of the most robust, evil, condescending vampires of the Night World out of commission. No one had suspected Ash Redfern, a party animal like themselves, someone who had been _exactly like them, _to lead them to their deaths instead of to the private party he told them of.

He groaned, pulling the silk pillow to his face and drowning into the whiteness of it.

He knew perfectly well that killing others probably wasn't exactly what Mary-Lynette had meant when she'd sent him away to redeem himself, but he also didn't know what else he could possibly do. Join the NSPCC and save abused children? Go to Africa and help the starving people? He knew they were worthwhile causes, but really…they weren't saving the whole of humanity. The only way to do that was to get rid of the Night Worlder's who wanted all humans dead or as a food supply.

"Yeah," he told himself in a raspy voice that surprised himself, "and you, Ash Redfern, are going to take down the whole of the Night World?"

_If I have to, yes. For Mare._

Even thinking of her made him smile, but it scared him too. Where was the Ash he'd known for eighteen years of his life? That arrogant, conceited bastard? How could one person – it didn't matter whether they were vampire or human – change him so deeply?

_Because it's Mare…_

He worried that he might go back on his promise, that Mary-Lynette would never come to love him the same way he loved her. He anxiously did what he thought was needed, knowing that his soulmate had probably sent him away to do something completely different.

_Why couldn't she have just given me a step-by-step manual? How to redeem yourself in ten easy steps…_

Rolling onto his side again, Ash looked at the mobile on his bedside table. He wanted to call Mary-Lynette, but didn't know if that would be a good idea – she hadn't replied to any of his letters yet – he wanted to call James, wanted to apologize for almost ripping his soulmate from him, now knowing how that could feel, but didn't know the number. Too bad, perhaps if he apologized, everything would become hunky-dory again and he could quiz James and his soulmate about what Mare wanted him to do. He didn't understand humans.

_Face it, Ash, you're in this alone…_

Mary-Lynette looked up at the stars from her perch on her favourite hill, wishing above all else that Ash could be with her. She had received letter upon letter from him, all full of hope and a sadness that she couldn't bear to answer with. She knew Ash wanted her to tell him that everything was fine, that she'd love him forever and would be waiting in a year's time – or even invite him back early.

She wanted to do all three of those, but it hurt too much to write, hurt too much to even think of him.

_Why did I send him away? _She wondered to herself, _why did I need redemption? He could be here with me, not harming anyone ever again, and I send him away to make up for what he's done?_

He was her soulmate, her partner, her one and only reason for living. How could she ever have imagined that she'd live through the next year, waiting for him to return? How could she cope if he met someone else, decided that being soulmates wasn't enough, that he needed someone like him. Strong, passionate, gorgeous…

She couldn't stand it! She pushed aside her telescope with a force that surprised even her and shocked the two figures sitting on the grass next to her: Mark and Jade. She loved her brother, even loved his girlfriend; her blood-sister. But now she became aware of them for the first time since arriving at the hill. They had been kissing, and now she saw that as Jade reluctantly pulled back, pouting.

_That could have been Ash and me…happy…_

She just had to face facts, no matter whether they were looking up at the same sky or not, whether the stars always twinkled with the same light… Mary-Lynette would never be whole without her soulmate, he was both the love and the hate inside of her.

_Love, because he's so gentle and kind – when he wants to be. Because he's my soulmate. Because he is the one person in this universe whom I belong to, and who belongs to me – forever. Love because he can look up at the stars without ridiculing them, and me. Love because he understands me…_

_Hate because of the things he's done in the past._

That was the problem. She couldn't be with someone who had done…what he had done…no matter what, she didn't have a time machine, and - as far as she knew – neither did he. But if he did good things to those he once classed as _Vermin, _if he helped them, then the two things would even one another out and the hate would disappear.

She grabbed her telescope from the floor, hoping she hadn't broke it – again – then started towards the car Claudine and her father had produced after her other had burnt with Jeremy.

She wondered what Ash could see in the sky.


	12. Ash and MaryLynette2

LOL I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHETHER I'M GETTING THE AGE RIGHT ON THIS. IS ASH EIGHTEEN? BECAUSE MY BRAIN SEEMS TO THINK HE IS BUT I HAVEN'T READ DAUGHTER'S OF DARKNESS FOR A LONG TIME, SO I'M NOT SURE…IF NOT, JUST ADJUST THE AGE IN YOUR HEAD, HEH.

Ash was sick and tired of lying in bed. Sure, his head hurt something terrible, and sure, standing up would probably result in even more pain, but he had to do something.

Lying in bed with a migraine was not what Mary-Lynette had meant when she'd said he had to redeem himself. That, he was sure of.

She'd finally wrote him a letter which explained all the reasons she couldn't write him letters; it had given him a headache just reading it, but he understood – it hurt too much. He just had to do what he was sent to do.

There was still the one incident playing around in his brain, and he couldn't help it. He'd done worse things to humans in the past – the people who he'd hurt weren't even humans, yet they were the one's whose pain he understood.

James and Poppy. He was going to have to find them, apologize for what he'd done, if he even wanted to start _thinking _of emancipation of his crimes with humans.

And there was only one way he could find James and Poppy, and that was by seeing family. Mr and Mrs Rasmussen would be no good, even _Quinn _had heard the rumours that he'd changed Poppy, and _everyone _knew that his parents had disowned him for it, even if they weren't sure whether or not the rumours were truth.

His own parents were useless, they wouldn't have spoken to James either, unless it was to read him his rights (which he had absolutely none of) before they started his public execution.

So the Rasmussens' and the Redferns' were out. That only left one name in his immediate family: the Harmans'. It was probably best that he went to them anyway, seeing as how they were witches and even if they didn't know where James was, they'd be able to find out.

He'd need to speak to Thea; out of both his cousins, he would have to say Thea was someone you'd go to in order for her to fix you, Blaise was the opposite, she'd break you into something monstrous. Grandma Harman would no doubt feel resentment for James, Blaise would want to know why, but even if he told Thea why, would she care?

Probably, they're still _vermin _to her…

Now that he had a course of action, even just a very loose plan, he had to go and do it. A year was a long time for him to be away from his soulmate, but not a long time to repair eighteen years worth of bad deeds.

_Sixteen years, _he argued with himself, _you were an angel the first two._

Down the hotel stairs, he jumped, frightening a young couple who were walking up towards their rooms, he just gave them a smile, a salut, and leaped down the remaining dozen, his car was parked outside; a sleek black convertible. It was actually parked at a rather strange angle, the driver's side pressed up against the wall, the car horizontal instead of vertical so that it took _two _spaces up. He looked closer, _My god…my car…it has a scratch on the paint work!_

_Oh so what? You got that car from manipulating humans, _he told himself.

_Shut up._

_You're going to have to give it away, to keep your promise._

_No, not my car. Mare can forgive me…it's my car._

He became aware that he was talking to himself somewhere at the end of his conversation and shut himself up, only just. _Man, I must be getting lonely if I need to talk to myself…_

Even if he did end up needing to give the car away to some poor human to make Mary-Lynette want him, he was going to be using it to get to Las Vegas, and that was final. There was no chance he was going to be _walking _there.

If he did, he chided himself, it would take a year to do this one simple task, and then he wouldn't have done enough for Mary Lynette to so much as _care _that he'd given his car up for her. He sighed and got in through the passenger seat, slipping along to the driver's seat before starting the engine.

Mary Lynette turned around _very _slowly, just in time to see a boy look away. She felt a smile form on her lips, then batted it away with her brain. He was new to the school, his name was Grey, he was her age and – last but not least – he was a vampire.

She had come to recognize them now, after spending so much time with Ash and his sister's, the differences between vampires and humans were obvious. He walked with a hunting swagger, his eyes glinted silvery on occasion, and he looked on many humans with disdain.

Many, not all, he was nice to Mary-Lynette, opened doors when he saw her, tried to go out of his way to make her laugh. Maybe he sensed something about her, which was a little vampire, from her blood sisters – she didn't know.

Kestrel swore he had a crush on her, and Jade said that he definitely did not hold true to Night World law. Rowan had nothing to say on the subject, she was too old for school. However, she did agree with Jade that Mare should be waiting until Ash got back, since she'd changed him so drastically.

That was okay, Mary Lynette agreed, but she also knew that this guy didn't have a crush on her. It was Kestrel he liked; Kestrel, with her wild beauty and even wilder personality, with her disdain and sarcasm and the aura around her which said no guy would ever have her, because she'd kick their asses and castrate them if they so much as talked to her.

_Guys always want what they can't have, _Mary-Lynette thought with a smile, _Maybe I should try that with Ash. _Or maybe she already was, perhaps that was why she had sent him away, to make him want her more and more, so when he got back…

_Shut up, brain._

She decided to do something constructive instead, Jade and Mark had skipped school, she knew that, and were off somewhere making out. Mark had decided to become a vampire in a couple of years, and now those two were closer than ever.

Kestrel was the only one in school, and she was standing right beside Mary-Lynette, which is why Grey was looking at her. He wasn't, he was looking at Kestrel.

_If I can't have my own love life, may as well sort other people's out._

She never got a chance to go and talk to Grey, because she felt a nudging at her elbow, Kay McGuire stood at her arm, snapping gum so loud that someone who didn't know her would have expected it to be a gunshot and ran for cover.

She was classically beautiful, with her long black hair reaching down straight to her waist and large blue eyes which glew like sapphires, her tall willowy frame was thin but with enough curves to catch every guy's eye.

Like many gorgeous girls, she was a bitch.

"Like, Mary Lynette, you know – this _Ash _that people keep saying is – like – your boyfriend, some people don't believe he's real…of course, I'm not one of them, but you should hear the _rumours."_

Mary-Lynette didn't know how people knew about Ash, btu she hugely suspected it had something to do with Jade and Mark, who were the reasons her father and Claudine had also found out about 'her and that cute guy that she started kicking for absolutely no reason'.

"Kestrel," she turned to her blood sister in amazement, "did you know you had an imaginary brother?"

"I didn't actually," Kestrel thought hard, "if he doesn't exist, I wonder who those letter's I keep receiving are from, the one's with _Your most gorgeous brother, Ash _on the end. Whoever he is, he has an ego problem."

Mary-Lynette nodded, then turned back to Kay, "please excuse us, Kestrel her two sisters and Mark and I all seem to be suffering from some major mental illness…"

"contagious illness," Kestrel put in helpfully.

"which makes us imagine people. The rumours are probably true, don't you think, Kestrel?"

"rumours are always truth," she nodded.

Kay didn't seem to know what to make of the exchange, she looked at the lockers, she looked at the tiled ceiling, and then, not having anywhere else to look, cracked her gum, "yeah, well, no need to be snotty. I was just, like, saying, y'know."

They were still laughing when she stalked off, Kestrel burrowed into her locker and produced an envelope, passing it to her friend, "there's another letter from your imaginary soulmate," she frowned, "that guy Grey's looking at you again."

"I know."

Kestrel got a fierce glint in her eye as she stared at him, "want me to kill him? Or castrate him?"

The poor guy didn't have a chance.


	13. Ash and Marylynette3

Yey! 4 reviews! I feel loved when I get reviews…anyway, sorry; let the story commence…

This is a short chapter, but my brain has stopped working. Will update again tonight, or this afternoon. Whichever my brain decides to start working in.

He'd been driving hours, so long that one hour fades into the next without even comprehension of what was happening. His arms felt like lead, but when it was a matter of making your soulmate happy or not, how could that compare?

His head hurt too, and if he was being perfectly honest with himself, he had probably almost caused crashes in about four different parts of the trip.

Ash preferred not to be perfectly honest with himself, it filled him with too little hope.

The speedometer seemed to be rising to a hundred miles per hour, and he wasn't sure how that had happened, was he pressing down too hard on the pedal? He sure wasn't in _that _much of a hurry to get to Las Vegas, not now.

Las Vegas was a place of evil, completely controlled by the Night World. Before…before Mary Lynette… Ash had loved the place; it had been his haven. Now, he was despairing even at the thought of it. Would Thea _really _help him?

Well, if not, this year of torture was going to be cut short quickly.

He swerved to narrowly miss a red jeep, which took the total up to five. Ash heard the curses of the driver of the jeep and turned, waving an apology. Las Vegas was close now, too close, Ash could feel the Night World in the air.

_It's just a place, idiot, stop making it out to be evil._

Even if _it _wasn't evil, the people were. He turned off to Las Vegas.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mary-Lynette could feel that Ash was agitated; she assumed he wasn't close, but she could feel it. The despair, the irritation, the pain…

She wished she wasn't the one who was causing it.

She sat on the sofa in the Redfern's house. She spent most of her time there now, since the sister's reminded her so much of their brother. It hurt to be around them, but the pain hurt good.

In fact, Mr. Carter probably thought he didn't have any kids anymore, because Mark was always with Jade doing something or other. It was surprising that he was the same guy he was before the summer, now he had lost his shyness and his phobia of girls.

Rowan was Mary-Lynette's favourite sister, she never mentioned Ash outright, but Mare could tell that she was there whenever she wanted to talk, Jade just thought love was simple and Kestrel thought it was nonexistent.

"I'll kill him!" Kestrel was screaming at the lamp, which didn't seem too interested in the actual exchange, "the _nerve _of that guy! I'll kill him! Make him scream!"

Grey had finally asked her out, with a little urging from Mary-Lynette, it hadn't turned out too well.

"Calm down, Kes, he only asked you to the cinemas, not to marry him." Mary-Lynette sighed.

"Calm down? Calm DOWN! You _encouraged _him – you're as bad as Jade!"

Jade was leaning against the sofa, Mark's arm around her, and now she smiled a childlike smile, "I think Kestrel's secretly afraid of guys."

Kestrel snorted, Rowan and Mark laughed, but Mary-Lynette had to wonder whether she was right. Kestrel had few friends, but the ones she did have were female.

"Perhaps…" she muttered.

"Like hell I am," Kestrel intoned.

"I mean, even _Rowan's _been on dates with a few of the vampires from the Black Iris," Jade went on, "and _I_ have Mark."

"I am not _afraid _of the opposite sex," Kestrel hissed through her teeth.

"That's true, very true, Jade," Rowan nodded.

"For God's sake! I'll go out with the guy if it makes you shut up," Kestrel yelled, "but don't expect me to like it. And if he tries anything…"

"We know, we know…" Mary-Lynette shook her head, "you'll castrate him."

At least helping someone else with their love life made her feel better.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Yo! Ash!" a voice called out, and Ash turned to see a vampire he knew from one of the clubs – he forgot which – his name was Glenn, and he was notorious, almost as bad as Ash himself had been. Now, he had a leer on his face as he crossed the street, "what you doing in Vegas, man?"

Ash regarded him coolly, wondering whether he should kill him or not, "a little gambling, a little partying. This and that, you?"

"a little partying," Glenn rolled his eyes, "I think you mean something slightly more fun than that," he laughed, and he seemed to spot something behind Ash, "gotta go, man, speak to you later. Look me up!"

"Like hell," Ash muttered once he was out of sight, but not before he saw him walk down the gully behind him. Now why would Glenn have ran off like that for a gully?

The answer came to him like a flash. Humans. He must have seen a human walk down there and was going to drain them…or worse… he heard a scream.

"Shit!" Ash swore, starting off in a sprint towards the darkened alleyway.


	14. Ash and MaryLynette 4

**White-wolf2**– I'm not going to reunite Mary-Lynette and Ash just yet, but once I've done the last couple (Rashel and Quinn – because the others were already at Daybreak before the books, or at the end of the books) the story line's gonna change – can't say how or that'll spoil it :P – and they'll be reunited then…

**Piscean Wisdom**** – **I'm glad you like the story, and Mary-Lynette will _eventually _be coming to Las Vegas, after I've done the other two couples.

**Laura – **Glad you're enjoying the story, I try to update both of them once every day, but I'm going to have to make the chapters I've done so far better, lol, because I've just realised how terrible they are – so I'll be working on that for a while.

Chapter 4.

The black dahlia stood out at him, and Ash wasn't completely certain whether he could muster up the courage to knock on the door. Never before had he been so anxious about seeing his own family, his own cousins, yet he couldn't help the feeling that maybe he was about to walk into his own doom.

He lifted his arm, poised to knock, then paused. What was he going to say? What if Blaise answered the door? Or Grandma Harman? They weren't going to let him see Thea without wanting to know why, and he didn't have an excuse. For the first time, he wished that he and Thea had been close once in their lives.

His hand was still in the air as the door swung open and a black-haired beauty stared out with one misty grey eye, but Ash was in his own little world, with evil thoughts swirling around his brain. He didn't notice as he decided just to go for it and knock.

His fist thrust forward, and that was when he noticed his cousin standing at the door, looking at him with blank amusement, _great, way to get her to help you, _he thought as his fist flew forwards, then hit something hard, suspending itself in midair. He looked up. Blaise's hand was poised in front of her face, stopping his hand with witch power. She let go and he dropped it.

"Ash." She said solemnly.

"Blaise," he said in the same tone of voice, "I need to speak with Thea."

The beautiful face of his cousin contorted for a moment, swirling into something so savage she could almost have passed for a vampire in a battle, her eyes narrowed at him suspiciously, her lips drawing into a tight line, "How did the Night World find out about Thea? It was that, that…" she broke off, and Ash saw something he never thought he would shading the face of his cousin – _tears…_

"Please, goddess, don't hurt her Ash. If you have _one _bit of compassion in your bones, you wont hurt her. She's renounced her witchcraft, she's a lost witch now, _why isn't that enough for the Night World?" _she shrieked the words at him and he winced involuntary at the power she was sending into him.

He gaped at her though, with this new revelation. Thea was a lost witch? How the _hell _had that happened? And how was he _ever _going to find James and Poppy _now? _Blaise wouldn't help him.

"Blaise, I wasn't _going _to hurt her, I have no idea what you're talking about," he ran one hand through his uncombed blonde hair and sighed, "I needed her to help me find someone."

This seemed to take Blaise back, she breathed in quickly, moved her hand to her chest as though to feel her own heartbeat, "thank goddess, I was afraid I was going to have to kill you."

Ash laughed at that mental image – Blaise, taking on a vampire like him, and winning? – Then he saw the pencil in her hand and stepped back. With her powers, that could have been in him before he had time to blink.

"Give me the pencil, Blaise," he said carefully, backing away into the gully even further.

"So you can do the big, bad vampire act and suck me dry?" she laughed, "no, I think I'll keep the pencil _just where it is…"_

Well, at least she wasn't threatening to put it into his chest if she was going to keep it in her hand.

"I'm through hurting people, Blaise," he said softly, turning to leave, he expected that she would bark out a snort, laugh at him, but when he turned back she was staring at him although he was something so very interesting that she couldn't figure out.

"You're not joking…and you seem more _mature _than you used to be, more _whole…_" at those words, Ash jogged down the stairs to the gully and opened his car door.

"Don't walk away from me, Ash Redfern!" Blaise screamed, and the door locks popped down, locking the car, "I've seen this before, you haven't changed because you _wanted to, _you have a _soulmate!"_

He tensed, shoved his key into his car and unlocked it. As soon as he had, the locks went down again. He turned, baring his fangs, hoping he could just erase the witch's memory of this ever happening.

"Don't look at me like that, Ash. She's human, isn't she? I'm not going to turn you in."

he stared at her, tried to get inside her mind, tried to erase it all, but she'd put a shield around her mind. Blaise was a direct descendent of Hellewise, she had the power to block simple Vampiric powers.

"It's true, isn't it?"

He had nothing to lose, Blaise obviously knew it was true without him even having to speak the words. And no matter what, he wouldn't tell her Mary Lynette's name, she couldn't get to her even if she was lying and was going to turn him in.

"It's true."

Her back turned to him, and she seemed to be hunched over something – Ash just hoped it wasn't anything wooden – when she hopped down the steps to him, she had a piece of paper in her hand along with the pencil, she passed it to him and he looked down blindly. It was an address for somewhere in Las Vegas.

"Thea lives there, with her soulmate: Eric," she glared at him, "but you _dare_ even _think _about hurting her, and you wont know what hit you," she laughed, "Thea has a _lot _of pencils."


	15. Ash and MaryLynette 5

Since a lot of people are mad at be for killing Ashy in the other story, I suppose I'll write a chapter of the one story that I'm not planning on killing anyone in…sad…a story without death…anyway…

Chapter 5.

As he drove to the address Blaise had given him, Ash had to wonder whether this soulmate principal was like a disease, _a very good one of course, _that only affected his family. Before he met Poppy, he didn't even know the soulmate principal _existed, _had never met anyone with a soulmate, but she was his cousin's, then he got his own, then he found out his _other _cousin had a soulmate. It only seemed to be his family.

"Maybe because we're a bunch of jerks?" he asked himself pessimistically, then dismissed the idea. Okay, so he'd been a self-loving, human-loathing moron, but James hadn't been that bad – used them occasionally, and Thea had tended just to stay out of their way.

_Stop theorising, Ash, _he ordered himself, _you're not very good at it._

When he finally stopped his black mustang convertible outside the small, one storey house and peered up at it, he waited inside the car for a while, then – realising he was being stupid – got out and walked up the drive, on the way he passed a red jeep that looked surprisingly familiar to him. In fact, he was sure he'd seen one lately… he shook himself out of his stupor.

It's a jeep, of course it looks familiar, idiot. You've seen a thousand of them in your life. 

He knocked on the door of the house, and jumped to the side, hiding in the shadows of a palm tree. At least if Thea thrust out a pencil or something even more lethal straight away, it wouldn't get to him. The door creaked open, and he edged back towards it, on his guard, just to see a pretty blonde girl with brown eyes staring out at him with a small smile on her face, "hello, Ash."

She didn't seem to have any pencils in her hands, or up her sleeves either, there were no bulging cylinders coming from them. He raised his eyes again and saw someone behind her, at a safe distance, staring at Ash with distrust.

"Thea, I really need to talk to you, I need help finding someone…"

she raised her eyebrow, "don't tell me you managed to scare your soulmate off already, Ash."

"No…" he paused, wondering how she knew he had a soulmate, then supposed Blaise must have phoned ahead of time, "I need to find Poppy and James."

"What do you want with Poppy and James?" the boy behind Thea burst out, and Ash narrowed his eyes at him. He wasn't a Night Worlder, so he must have been Eric – Thea's soulmate. How on Earth did he know about Poppy and James?

"Calm down, Eric," Thea said softly, putting one delicate hand on his sleeve, she glanced over at Ash, "but you can still answer the question."

"I need…I need…" he paused, looked away, towards the grass, "I have a soulmate, you know that. A human soulmate; she saw inside my mind, she saw some of the…unsavoury…things I've done, and she didn't like it – she sent me to make up for it. Now that I'm away from her, I need to say sorry to James and Poppy – for ripping them apart, even for a short while."

Thea stared at him, blinked, then opened the door wider, "come in, Ash. I think we have some things we need to discuss."

They sat in the living room of Eric's house, Rosemund had insisted on staying to help Thea. Her exact quote being 'with two men in here, you never know what they might try and manipulate their way out of, but with two of us here, it makes us even," Ash had to laugh, she was an extreme feminist – even a young one – and before he had met Mare, he'd been so chauvinist it disgusted him. He was glad he hadn't met her before. Eric had to go out of the room with Rosemund before she accepted that Thea could handle herself.

Ash got one last look at Eric, and he realised what he'd recognized about the jeep. He waited until he'd left the room.

"Shit."

"What?" Thea asked, surprised, she had been about to open her mouth when he'd suddenly hissed the word, watching Eric shut the door.

"Oh nothing. On the motorway yesterday, I only almost _totalled your soulmates car, _apart from that…"

Thea started to laugh, "it's a small world Ash. I should have guessed _you _were the idiot driver he complained about when he got back." She sobered quickly, "but Ash, what he was doing yesterday was taking all our things…somewhere… we're not staying here long, because we're in danger because…" she paused.

"Because you have a human soulmate," Ash stated.

"No, the witches think I'm a lost witch. They gave me the cup of Lethe, but Blaise had already switched it so me and Eric didn't forget anything, Aradia – maiden of the witches – was the only one who knew, and she told me about circle daybreak."

"Circle? Like Midnight or twilight?" he'd never heard of Daybreak before, as far as he knew there were only two witch circles, and he should know pretty well since he had a bunch of cousins who were witches. Then again, he hadn't really paid too much attention at the family reunions.

"No, anyone can join Circle Daybreak, it's main goal is to bring together night people and humans. It allows for human-witch, human-vampire, human-shape shifter, whatever, relationships, we try to teach magic to the humans," she paused, "Poppy and James are members, so are Eric and I, which is why we need to move into the headquarters," there was another hesitation, "Thierry Descouedres runs it."

Ash had to stop himself from falling off his seat in surprise. Thierry Descouedres? The _first _made vampire? He was practically the most important Elder in the Night world, and he ran this get-together for humans and Night Worlder's? It was hard to believe.

"and I suppose you want me to join this little party?" he asked sarcastically.

Thea put a hand over her heart as though in relief, "Oh, Thank Goddess, I was starting to think you'd gone mad or had a personality transplant Ash, good to hear sarcasm from you again. You could join, being on the side for humans would be a start for Mary…don't you think?"

"Mary-Lynette," Ash corrected automatically, then thought about it, "I'm not promising anything, but I need to speak to James and Poppy."

She nodded, "Eric and I are leaving in a while, follow us in your car. When he opened his mouth to protest that he knew the way to Thierry's mansion, she held up her hand.

"You'll need Eric and I to get in. no one would trust _anything _about this, Ash. We sure as hell wouldn't trust you, but Poppy had a vision that you had changed, that you'd join Circle Daybreak eventually. You'll still need us to vouch for you though."

Oh…well there was nothing like being straightforward about it. Ash supposed that he had earned that; with all the things he had done in the past. He nodded.

"Oh, and Ash?"

"Yeah, Thea?"

"I wouldn't recommend telling Eric it was you who put made him put that dent in the bonnet."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Not a very good chapter, I will fix it later. It _is _a chapter though lol, that's gotta count for something.


	16. Ash and MaryLynette 6

Ash followed Eric and Thea through the lavish house uninterestedly as Thea annoyingly insisted on pointing out everything to him. He bit back the urge to tell her that, strangely enough, he _had _been inside Thierry Descouedres' house before. _House. _He almost felt like snorting at that, but he wasn't amazed by the splendour or brilliance – what did anyone expect? The dude had been alive since the day's humans lived in caves. He'd probably sold tons of antiques and ancient items as a pastime.

He followed Eric and Thea further down the hallway, and started hearing voices. Luckily, they weren't the inside type of voices that would drive him to believe he was going insane, but a loud discussion rooms away. He doubted either of the couple in front of him could hear it, and only he – with his outstanding vampiric senses – could make out the words.

"I hope you're right about this, Poppy. Goddamnit, I don't want to think about what he could do to Circle Daybreak if – which is very likely – he isn't trustworthy."

"Jamie, my vision told me he was okay, Thea agreed with me when I told her about it. You disagreed, only you. Okay…and Eric…wait, is it just the testosterone? You boys can't stand the thought of your soulmates hanging around that tall, lean, and incredibly sexy, Ash Redfern? Forget it. I didn't pick up on his advances even when I _didn't _know what he was like, and when I thought I'd _never _see you again."

Ash laughed at this, not at the realisation that he didn't have the irresistible affect on Poppy, she had a soulmate – he knew that he wouldn't – but because she had just confessed that he was, in her own words 'incredibly sexy' _I wonder what she'd think if she knew I'd heard that._

Thea looked over her shoulder, "what are you laughing at Ash?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," when she turned round he had to stifle his own laughter.

"Well Poppy," James's voice drifted out from the living room, "no, I wasn't worrying about that. And I doubt Eric was either, Thea and Ash are _cousins."_

"Yeah, you might not _know _you were worrying about that. It's…whatchamacallit? Your subconscious maleness that tells you to be weary of big ash cats… and that's what's wrong with you and Eric, not trusting my visions."

"Okay, Poppy. You still haven't answered the comment about Thea and Ash being cousins."

She sighed in exasperation, "Have you never heard of _incest, _Jamie? It is _legal _for people to love their cousins."

Ash guffawed. Then he paled. Ewww…that was too bad to think about. He stared at Thea; okay, so she was beautiful, but she was _his _cousin. He hoped to God that Eric wasn't really thinking that, but he couldn't help make a face at Eric's back.

"We're here!" Thea called to him, opening the door of the living room, just as James was saying, "that's sick, Poppy, but about Ash…"

"talking about me?" Ash questioned, sticking his head through the doorframe – _hah. Watch them get out of this one._

"Speak of the devil and he will appear," James muttered under his breath.

"Yep, Ash, about you, and testosterone, and incest, among over things," Poppy rose an eyebrow, probably knowing he had heard it all. Instead of her squirming, it was Ash who turned red.

"So, Ash, you're becoming one of us?" James asked sweetly, the sweet calm showing that underneath he'd like to tear himself from his seat and rip his cousin's throat out.

"I'll never be one of you," he shook his head, "even if I was a Daybreaker, I wouldn't be one of you."

"then what are you here for?" Poppy asked suspiciously, staring hard at Eric and Thea, as though she could get an answer from their faces.

_God, _now that the time came, Ash really didn't want to do this. He felt slightly foolish, okay make that very foolish, as he turned to face the soulmate couple. He breathed in a huge intake of air.

"Poppy, James…I have an apology to make."

I'm not really commenting on Mary-Lynette because what she does isn't really important until her and Ash meet, if you want me to write some useless babble about her life anyway, tell me in a review and I'll do it.


	17. Gillian and David

**I'm kind of busy right now writing my own stuff, but I will finish the fanfiction stories, still writing one update a day. If I get bored, I might have ¼ of an hour breaks so that I can keep updating. The whole Gillian and David thing might be finished by tonight :D**

**17. Gillian and David**

**I've leant this book to one of my cousins, so if I get some of the details wrong, please correct me since I cant look at the book for reference.**

They stood together in the snow, hands entwined. Behind her, Gillian could hear the voices of their parents, who were so disgusted that they could go after the poor man who had just lost his daughter. Gillian didn't care: her soulmate was beside her, holding her in the snow and her cousin had finally reached his destination – wherever that may be.

"Goodbye Angel," she murmured, almost inaudibly. She felt David's warm arms go around her small body and smiled. It didn't get any better than that.

"Gillian Lennox!" there was a voice behind her, and arms – not David's – pulling her away, dragging her from the spot in which she and David had eternity. She gave one more desperate look towards the sky and shuddered, then turned, "yes, mom?"

The woman was standing there, disappointed and sad. She was also sober, and this affected Gillian more than anything else. Who cared if she was disappointed in her? Life was full of disappointment; she'd get over it soon enough, just as she'd get over the fact that Gillian had changed so much. Sad? Well, wasn't everyone in this – the dreariest of places? The body of a girl had just been found, Gillian hardly expected her to be hopping around happy.

Behind her mother was her father and David's father and stepmother were following quickly. Gillian could see from _their _faces that they thought David had just gone back to his old rebellious ways and would probably be giving him a talk on 'the virtues of remaining as you have been,' Gillian squeezed his hand and - simultaneously – they stepped away from one another.

"Yes, mom?" Gillian asked the woman who had called her, siding slightly towards her father, who had always been her safety blanket – before he started spending so much time working – he just shook his head. _I wont be helping this time, _it seemed to say.

Mrs. Lennox opened her mouth, closed it, and eventually grabbed her daughter in a huge bear hug, "I don't understand _any _of this," she whispered through tears, "and I don't know why you felt the need to follow the poor man, but I love you, you silly girl."

Gillian smiled momentarily, it had been a long time since her mother had said anything nice to her that wasn't slurred and misshaped.

A hand was on her arm, and Gillian turned to see David, "my parents want me to leave now," he told her quietly, "but I can stay if…"

She shook her head quickly, "I'll be fine David, I'll see you tomorrow," he turned to walk away, she had to raise her voice to be heard, "and thank you!"

None of the adults understood what she meant, but David turned, and understanding flashed between them.

**Short chapter, I know. Sorry.**


	18. Gillian and David 2

**Pazzesco Bella – Glad you like it! I am trying to update this one more, but I'm doing Gillian and David now and they're my least favourite couple, so I think I'm putting it off lol '_must concentrate'._**

Gillian went to see Melusin (?)the day after they found Paula, she left at six o'clock, when the mall wouldn't even be open, but at least then her parents wouldn't ask questions about where she was going and hwo with, and David wouldn't insist on coming with her.

Well, that was the plan. It didn't quite work out like that. As soon as she left the estate in her mother's car, she saw David's following her. Normally she might have enjoyed his possessive care about her, but not this time, it was _witch stuff, _and he wasn't involved. What had Ash said? The Night world _killed _humans that knew about it, and he was following her?

Nope. That wasn't going to happen. She took a sharp right, and she could see David's look of confusion, although she knew he couldn't see the front of her face to see her mouth so much as move, she said "Go home, David."

If only things were that easy. She looped through roads, drove in mazes of houses, trying to lose him. He just kept right on her trail. Eventually, in annoyance and exasperation, she stopped the car outside her own house, opened her door and got out. David had stopped but hadn't left the car, she stalked over, got in beside him, and didn't say anything. He glanced at her.

"if you want taken somewhere, you're going to have to say where."

She was silent, sulking, brooding silence.

"Jill?"

Silence.

"I'm sorry, but we're soulmates, we need to stick together," he gave her a slight smile, "right?"

she spoke, "Wrong."

"what do you want me to do, Jill?" he asked, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, his eyes blank.

"I want you to wait until I get out of the car, then turn it around and drive into your garage,David, then go up to your room and back to bed. I have stuff to do. Witch stuff. And I don't need you there. Unless you, too, are a lost witch, but I think Ang…Gary, might have told me that."

She noticed the clock. She'd been trying to lose him for two hours; the mall would be open soon, seen as it opened at eight-thirty.

He shook his head, "Jill, you didn't let me help take care of Gary, I was sitting in that hospital bed, feeling useless, because you'd gone. I am not – not – going to do that again. I didn't know what was happening, didn't know if you were okay, and…" he shrugged, "I guess I felt as though a part of me was dying. I _need _to help you, Jill."

He sounded so sure, and she didn't have the strength to argue. She sighed, then sat back, "fine. But we don't need two cars."

He got the hint, he started the engine, "where are we going?"

"the mall," she muttered, then lapsed into silence again.

Three quarters of an hour later found them in Melusin's shop. She was looking at David with quite obvious interest, as though he was an experiment that she wasn't too sure of.

David himself was looking around the shop in interest, staring at the amulets and herbs as Gillian had first done when Gary – although she still thought of him as Angel – brought her there.

"Well, Gillian," she said after she'd explained the predicament, "even though you said that it couldn't wait until then, I contacted your relatives. Grandma Harman – who is your great Aunt – very much wants to meet you, so does your cousin Blaise, she's the only Harman girl really left, over than you."

Gillian blanched, "but I thought you said there were two…"

"There _were _two, but Thea found her soulmate, a_ human _soulmate," at this she looked at David, "and they made her become a lost witch – that is, forget witchcraft. Long story short is that she didn't, although the Night World thinks she has, and she and her soulmate joined Circle Daybreak, it's a place where humans and Night People try to get along, where Night People can have human soulmates," she gripped Gillian's hand, "Circle Daybreak are sending three of your cousins and their soulmates out to meet you," she paused, "Thea will be one of them, the other two…well, they're not witches…" she grinned but wouldn't say anymore, "five people will be coming in the next week, all together."

Gillian felt overwhelmed, "why?"

"Because you're not a lost witch any longer, Gillian, you know about the Night World. There are people with Circle Daybreak who can teach you magic, but people in the Night World would also jump at the chance," she paused, looked at David again, "the only difference is, in the Night World, you wont be able to keep your human soulmate."

Gillian gripped David's hand under the desk.

"In the next week?" Gillian asked.

"Yes," now Melusin smiled.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N sorry I haven't updated this for so long, I've been concentrating on school work and writing my own stuff, but I promise I'll get back to updating regularly, I'll start writing the next part of this as soon as I read the next review :P

I can't really write about Gillian and David, not my favourite couple at all, I just don't think they have strong enough personalities to give them a thing on their own (just what I think) so I'm including the other soulmate couples in this too.

Oh yes. I do not own Night World.

On the mention of reviews, thanks to everyone who has so far!

The next three days were uneventful, and for that Gillian was thankful. All she wanted to do was spend some time with her soulmate, without the tortures of not knowing what was coming next in her unorthodox life. Without the tremors of anxiety she got every time someone said the words 'Night World'. She didn't even want to think of that, never mind talk or hear of it.

As for the visit from her cousins, she tried to forget that. Unsuccessfully. Sometimes she would catch herself in the middle of a thought of it, and she would worry about the upcoming day for hours later. She didn't fear the one Melusine had spoken of: Thea; after all, she was a witch just like her, just like Melusine, and Gillian didn't fear herself.

It was the mention of the other cousins that worried her. The one's who weren't witches but weren't humans either. What else had Angel said there was in the Night World? Werewolves, Vampires…evil creatures, like the ones in the club.

_Hold on…_the rational part of her mind would try to argue with her, _A vampire saved you. Ash. He saved you. _The other part would come up with _sure, but one good vampire in a club full of them is not overly reassuring._

The rational part of her mind had no argument to that.

She waited in terror for the day to come, and most of that time she just wanted to grab David, whatever possessions she could carry, and run away. To anywhere.

_But the Night World might find us…we have to trust Melusine. We just can't risk David. _

For once, the rational part of her mind was making sense.

Now, Gillian sat at her window, watching David depart down the drive for his own house. The wind thrashed through the tree outside her bedroom window, the branches thrown one way and another by the bitter force of the winter wind. With the snow falling around, the effect was dazzling, and Gillian was surprised that such a beautiful sight could be brought from such devastation.

_Please don't let them come._

* * *

…Earlier that day…

"Dum dum dum, dum dum dum, nanananana" an excited pixie sang out the beats on the top of her high voice, her boots hitting the floor in rhythm with the music from her headphones, the zip flying with every motion.

"Poppet? Have you seen my hairbrush?" Poppy heard the voice of her soulmate with both her ears and her brain, but she chose to tactfully ignore it, along with the meaning of his words. Her eyes closed, head starting to nod in time to the music and she blocked out the fact that James Rasmussen was even in the same room.

"Poppy, I know you can hear me, what have you done with it?"

Still there was silence, this time Poppy blocked out the voice in her mind. Now all that was left was the voice in her ears, and that melded into the music, making the words barely understandable.

"Look Poppy, if you've used it to groom Eric and Thea's dog again, I'm not going to be mad, just tell me where it is…I'm in desperate need of a brush right now. Look at me!"

She avoided looking at him, her eyes still closed in ecstasy _what a good song, _she thought to herself, _great music. Great song. And best of all, you can't hear James Rasmussen."_

"_Poppy!" _

"For Isis' sake, James!" a new voice broke into the conversation and Poppy opened her eyes to see the blonde-haired witch, "it's in the living room, on the coffee table."

"Thanks Thea," Poppy opened her eyes to see her soulmate retreating out of their bedroom. Then he paused, constructed an one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn and narrowed his eyes in the direction of Poppy and Thea "How did you know…?"

Poppy and Thea shared a brief look, then both sprinted towards the door, under James's arms and out of sight before he knew what was happening.

* * *

Eric was just finishing loading the last of the bags into the back of the jeep, whilst Ash snoozed in the front seat, as his soulmate and poppy ran out. Laughing. He couldn't entirely understand why Thea and Poppy got along so well, with Thea being serious and Poppy being childlike in ways. He guessed that it was something to do with them both being witches. Thea ran a few extra steps and embraced him, "ready to go?" he asked.

Their puppy, Shona, was tied to the boot of the car, and now Eric untied the rope, picking the puppy up easily and handing her to Thea.

"Just as soon as Jamie comes out," Poppy answered for her, sliding in through the front of Eric's jeep. As soon as the door crashed shut, Ash woke with a start, "Oh no… Oh no, no, no."

"Problem, Ash?" James asked, seemingly materialising beside the side of the jeep, opening the front passenger door.

"Oh no. No problem. Just tell Poppy that that's not the passenger seat, and then I'll be fine." No one moved, and his head dropped to his hands, "Oh god no, we're all going to die."

"I _can _drive, you know, Ash," she cried indignantly.

"Sure you can, Poppy, just Eric can drive so much better," he turned pleading eyes on Eric, who shook his head and got in through the back seat after Thea. Ash looked at James, who grinned helplessly, and – as a last resort – at Thea. She laughed.

"God, when I was told about this trip, I was already regretting saying yes, watching my two cousins with their soulmates as well as a dog – a dog for heaven's sake – is not a fun way to pass time, you know?" he paused, "but I didn't realise we were all going to _die! _I did _not _sign up for dying!"

"Well, Ash, just think. You'll be cut short of the suffering in no time at all," Poppy grinned and started the car, pulling away from the curb without even looking behind her.

"Fabulous," he sighed, sinking down in the backseat.

"Anyway," Eric looked around for a way to change the subject, he saw the clock, which declared that the time was nine o'clock, "we're a bit behind schedule."

"Whoopdidoo," Ash muttered sarcastically.

"it's Jamie's fault," Poppy turned her head away from the front, "he wouldn't leave until he found his brush."

"hey! I couldn't find mine this morning either. Thea had to get it out the living room for me." Eric started, surprised.

"What a coincidence," James shared an amused glance with the back of his girlfriend's head.

"Hubble bubble toil and trouble," ash pointed one finger at the girl beside him and the other at the front seat.

"Don't go quoting Hamlet," James said sourly, "you're not clever enough for that."

"Macbeth."

"What?"

"It wasn't Hamlet, it was Macbeth – besides, I was quoting Shakespeare, not the play."

The car was set in silence again, until Poppy put a CD on.

This time, the groan was unanimous from the three sitting in the back seat while Poppy tapped her hand against the steering wheel happily.

"This trip just hit a new low," Ash complained.

* * *

The doorbell ran, and Gillian ran to it. Her parents were out, David was back at home, and it was eleven o'clock at night. David would have called before he came over, and her parents had keys. There was only one thing this could be. She took a deep breath before moving closer to the door, through the glass she could see two blonde heads, and she touched her own almost white hair. Her hand moved involuntarily to the handle and pushed it down, the door flinging open almost by its own control.

What she saw was not what she was expecting. The two people standing on the doorstep looked absolutely normal, just like she and Melusine, somehow she expected them to be different, more evil looking, but by their aesthetics there was no way to tell. She cursed herself for judging people on looks but dropped her defences enough to let a small smile show.

"Hi, I'm Thea Harman. Gillian, right? We've heard so much about you; it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Err, yes, I mean…It's a pleasure to meet you too," Gillian spoke softly, more so than usual, and Thea smiled a tender smile.

"I know, it's hard knowing who to trust when you have a human soulmate, isn't it? This is mine: Eric Ross." She gestured to the handsome, tall boy standing next to her, who was cradling a puppy in his arms, "and this is Shona."

She seemed nice already, and Gillian just couldn't mistrust them, she stepped aside "um, please come in, sit down."

"Thank you, just a second," Thea smiled, then gestured behind her. A small redhead and a tall boy with brown hair got out of the car and started up the path, the girl pulling another person behind her.

"These are the others," Thea said "James Rasmussen, our cousin, and his soulmate Poppy North." The girl twisted to scream something at the boy behind her, and Gillian stared, "and the other cousin…"

"Ash." Gillian gasped.

I know, this could have been better, but I didn't have much time to write tonight, next one I will try to make thousands better. But first you've got to hit the little blue-purple button. Even if it is only to flame. hint hint


	20. Rashel and Quinn

Gah sorry to everyone who's been asking me to update this and I haven't. I haven't been writing much lately, but now I'll update it…very sorry lol.

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed though D

They'd sent Nyala Timmy ahead with Fayth to Circle Daybreak. She promised some of the witches would try to work on him, try to heal the emotional wounds that he'd carried for the past thirteen years. Rashel didn't know if it was possible, but Quinn was saved after centuries of evil and hurt, so maybe there was hope for Timmy. She hoped so. There were some of the best witches in Circle Daybreak now, perhaps they _could _help.

Now they sat on the grassy courtyard of Thierry's mansion, holding hands in the dark. Viewing it from a distance before making up their minds whether to join. It was against everything both of them had ever known, went against themselves, but it was the only way.

"I'm willing to join them…for you." Quinn said suddenly, "I know I wasn't sure. But now I am. It's the only place for us to be…"

"Us." Rashel finished his sentence, "it's the only place we can be _us_. It's either we do this or we can't be together. We go our separate ways, I'll go hunt your people, and you'll go hunt mine."

She knew she didn't want that, even before she said it, but saying it seemed to reinforce the idea for her. They _had _to join Daybreak, or give up on their happiness forever.

"I don't ever want that," he said forcefully, and she smiled.

"me neither. Should we go?" she stood up and started to stride towards the mansion but came to a halt when she realized that her hand was still attached to Quinn's, who wasn't moving. He was gripping it, hard. Frightened. It may have been impossible to get out of if it wasn't for the sweat that was covering his hand.

"Rashel…what if they don't let me in though? Circle Daybreak's meant to be for _good _people, and…I…I've done a lot that isn't _good."_

"So have I, Quinn," she sighed, sitting back down again, "I killed countless Vampires, I bunched them all up as being the same, and I probably killed _nice _vampires. Vampires who had families, who just wanted to live their life in peace, but I didn't care, because to me they were all the same. All murderers, which makes me a murderer." Then the sensitivity was gone, and her face became stone again, "but if they don't let us in then they're not as righteous as they think they are. We've both changed."

She stared at him, straight into his mind, and begged him to understand, to agree.

This time he was the one who stood up.

"Right," he agreed, "but – just in case Thierry sets his guards on us – do we have a backup plan?"

She thought for a moment. Thought of the times when The Cat would perfectly plan every slaying, every single thing that she did. she surveyed windows of the mansions as escape routs, surveyed the outsides for hidden weapons, then shook her head, grinning. "Nah," she smiled, "I reckoned we'd just wing it."

"And if it all goes horribly wrong and they try to kill us?" Quinn asked carefully.

She patted her belt with a smile "then we'll just have to fight our way out."

"That's the girl I love."

- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - -- - - - - -

Together they approached the mansion. Hand in hand, they walked through the courtyard. Hand in hand they climbed the steps. Hand in hand, they reached the door, but Quinn could not force himself to knock. He looked at the door stupidly until eventually Rashel – sighing – reached up to the knocker and hit it against the door several times.

Quinn couldn't remember ever being so frightened. It wasn't the thought that maybe the Daybreakers would hate him for what he'd done and try to kill him. He was _the _John Quinn, he could get out of anything. It was more the thought that their reaction to him would determine whether he could be happy with Rashel forever or not. He wanted to be with her, more than he'd ever wanted to be with Dove. He loved her, he _needed _her, and part of him still nagged _you don't deserve to be that happy. If they reject you it'll be your own fault…and maybe Rashel would be better off._

The door opened and a man much bigger than Quinn, wearing a suit and sunglasses, opened the door. Quinn had no doubt that he could take him, and he assessed him coolly. The assessment was cut short when he felt Rashel's elbow connect with his ribs. It didn't hurt, but it was enough to shock him into remembering they weren't there to fight – if at all possible.

"um, hello." Rashel started, at first she stumbled over her words, but eventually they flowed with the emotionless professionalism that was her trademark "my name's Rashel Jordan and this is John Quinn" he winced at the use of his real name "we're here to see Thierry Descouedres. It's concerning Circle Daybreak."

The man's expression never changed, even when she'd finished, "we've been expecting you. Please, follow me."

Quinn and Rashel looked at each other. Rashel shrugged, then they stepped into the mansion. Rashel keeping her hand on her belt the whole time.


	21. Rashel and Quinn2

They followed him through seemingly countless corridors. Neither of them spoke, and neither did their guard, but they clung to one another's hands – both feeling a little foolish, but they were both pessimists (neither had been given the opportunity to be anything but) and it was too much to hope that they'd be invited into Circle Daybreak with open arms. Too much to hope that they could be together or have a life...together.

The mansion was beautiful, but neither of them noticed. They simply walked on until their guide came to a stop in front of an office door, marked with 'Thierry's Office'. He knocked once and a low voice from inside called "come in."

Their guide opened the door and stood beside it, gesturing for Rashel and Quinn to walk in, "Sir. The new soulmate couple has arrived."

Neither Rashel nor Quinn asked how he knew they were soulmates, or how he knew they were coming. Most likely Fayth had announced that they were coming and that's why they didn't have to explain themselves. Quinn hoped so, because otherwise this seemed awfully suspicious.

Once inside the office, Quinn surveyed it, looking for possible routes of escape. Only finding one behind the tousled blonde head of the man he knew to be Thierry. However, this only captivated his attention for a few seconds; Thierry had visitors, who all had their backs to Quinn and Rashel, and one of whom was talking excitedly.

"So we brought her back here. Goddess, another Harman, but we sent her and her soulmate upstairs to rest because –"

Quinn wasn't interested in her. There was a guy lounged in a chair with aristocratic suave, a hand running vainly through the thick ash-blonde hair on his head. Quinn knew this pose, this character, from eighteen years of having to run around after the guy sat in front of him. He also knew that he'd killed his own aunt and a werewolf without hesitation, played human girls for fun, and would rather cut his face off with a blunt piece of oak than join Circle Daybreak.

"What the _hell _is he doing here?" he demanded angrily, "I knew this had to be a trap! Let's go Rashel," he started to back towards the door, grabbing at his belt for his stake.

"What's wrong with you? What's going on?" she asked, but reaching for her stake also.

"_He _is what's wrong with me," Quinn said, pointing at the blonde, "he's as bad as I used to be Rashel. No _way _would Ash Redfern have joined Circle Daybreak. It has to be a trap."

Ash rolled his eyes disdainfully while the others in the room were obviously still struggling to comprehend what was going on. He stood up carefully, smiling at Quinn the whole time "Why, John, I never expected to see you here either." He nodded in Rashel's direction "your soulmate?"

Quinn nodded slowly, not seeing the harm in that. Ash must know already, they all must know.

"She's pretty." Ash said, nodding his approval, "seems a bit too feisty, and I'm not too sure about that stake she's holding, but yeah, pretty. Reminds me a bit of my Mary-Lynette."

Rashel and Quinn stared at him in shock, then both talked at the same time.

"A bit too _what?"_

"Your _what?" _

"His soulmate" a small girl with hair like flame put in.

"Hello Quinn," another voice said from the corner, and Quinn rose his eyes to look at James "don't worry, I had almost the same reaction. But it's true, Ash has a human soulmate."

Ash looked indignant, "how's it so easy to believe that _he _has a human soulmate but not _me?_ You're all against me. I don't know what I did."

"You kidnapped Poppy?" James put in helpfully.

"You kidnapped me," Poppy confirmed.

"Hey! I didn't kidnap you. You came willingly!"

"After you manipulated her!" James yelled.

"Manipulating isn't the same as kidnapping!"

"From what Thea's told me, you manipulated thousands of girls for fun," a boy with sandy blonde hair whom Quinn had never seen before added.

"You almost crashed Eric's car."

The blonde boy turned to his soulmate in surprise, "He did _what?_" he turned back to Ash "_You're _the one who almost crashed my jeep!"

Rashel and Quinn looked at one another helplessly. This was just too weird to be a trap. Thierry was on his way out, probably assuming that his Daybreakers would never finish their meeting now. On the way out he gave a small smile in their direction "Welcome to Circle Daybreak."

"It was an _accident, _Eric, no need to get mad. After all, no damage done right?" Ash said carefully.

"You nearly crashed my _car!"_ the blonde boy was bordering on angry now, but still spoke seriously, "I _like _that car! _And _I could have been killed!"

"And the world could be happier" Ash muttered under his breathe, too low for a human to pick up.

"Welcome to the Circus more like" Rashel muttered under her breathe, "remind me again why we're joining these people?"

"We want to be together."

"Oh yeah, nearly forgot."


	22. Rashel and Quinn 3

I've been in a good mood to write lately so you might be getting more than the 1 chapter today …whether that's a good thing for you or not I'm not sure, but it should hold off the death threats for a while…

I hope…

And there's more Ash in this one…and I promise, once I get a few more chapters out the way, Ash and Mary-Lynette will be reunited. They're not my favourite couple but I know a lot of people like them so I'll be nice lol…and possibly not kill them off this time.

Anyway:

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They'd been shown to a room by a blonde witch who Quinn introduced to her as Thea. She seemed legit to Rashel, not the kind of person who would purposefully lead them into a trap. _Her being here makes sense, _Quinn told her telepathically, _Thea was always too soft to be a Night Person…almost humanlike._

The words 'soft' and 'humanlike' put together made Rashel's eyes narrow angrily, and she turned this glare on her soulmate.

_Most humans _are _weak Rashel,_ he told her, then – without missing a beat – _but most of them aren't The Cat._

_And neither am I anymore, _Rashel thought, almost sadly.

Outside the room, Rashel had suddenly grabbed Thea's arm. The witch gave a yelp of fright and Rashel felt instantly sorry. "I'm sorry," she said slowly, "I didn't mean to scare you. I just wondered if Timmy and Nyala are ok?"

Thea smiled, "I worked on them myself. They've both been through a lot of pain and sadness, and it's going to take a long time to heal, but they should be okay."

Rashel nodded and thanked her, then she turned and walked into the room.

The room was huge. It seemed bigger than the house Rashel shared with her foster family, and she stared in awe. Decorated in dark red and purple with a high ceiling and with rubies – or most likely red-tinted crystals – hanging from the chandelier, it seemed almost like an Arabian palace. Two dark wooden wardrobes lay against one wall, the wall opposite that comprising of mainly one big window, a chest of drawers of the same wood as the wardrobe, a vanity desk, a mirror, a door that lead to what Rashel could only assume was an en-suite and _one _canopy bed in the middle of the room, draped with purple and red silks.

_That _one _bed might be a problem, _she thought to herself while Quinn inspected the room.

She watched as he walked to the window and checked around the outskirts of the window, "there doesn't seem to be any wood here," he muttered, "good."

"Don't worry, Quinn," Rashel answered seriously, although she suspected the muttering wasn't aimed at her, "no matter how bad the arguments get, I wont be ripping the windows apart for a way to stake you."

He turned around and blinked twice, as though forgetting she was there, then he smiled: that charismatic, sweet smile that transformed him from one of the most deadly vampires on the planet to a sweet boy. Goddess, she loved him, and she didn't understand how it was even possible.

"I hadn't even thought of that," Quinn said, standing up just long enough to put his arms gently around his soulmate, "I was thinking that if this is a trap, and they decide to come through the windows, the wood would have shattered into the room and may have hit me – then you'd be left to fight them on your own."

She didn't mind about fighting on her own, it's what she'd done for the past 13 years, but the thought of losing Quinn – even having him _hurt _by a window beam – it ripped her apart.

"I love you," she whispered into his shoulder.

There was a slight pause before he answered, but Rashel knew it wasn't because he didn't love her back. He just had problems with his feelings, with admitting them, eventually he stuttered out "I love you too."

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Rashel sighed "Quinn, we have to believe this isn't a trap. I know how you feel, I know you're weary. I am too. But it can't be a trap."

"I know," Quinn said softly into her hair, "I just need to make sure you're safe."

"I'm The Cat," Rashel said with a small grin, "I can handle anything," she stifled a yawn, "except lack of sleep of course."

Quinn was eyeing the one canopy bed suspiciously, as though it might suddenly grow a mouth and bite him, "I'll sleep on the floor."

"No. you need to relax more than I do, I'll take the floor," Rashel argued.

"I'm the man, I'll take the floor."

Rashel stared at him for a few moments, mind working overtime, "Quinn?"

"Yes, Rashel?"

"Get the hell in the bed."

He did as she said and she climbed in after him, not bothered at anything at that moment but sleep.

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Ash walked to his room. Alone. Eric and Thea had gone to bed straight after Rashel and Quinn, then Poppy and James had gone hunting and to their room. Together. Gillian and David were still resting and Ash felt strangely alone. The people he talked to the most, the only ones who trusted him, they all had soulmates, and he was alone, and…he felt strange…kind of….

Lonely.

That was what he'd felt, but it took him a while to realize it. Maybe he'd always felt rather lonely, and that's why he'd needed the girls, the parties, the alcohol… he stepped inside his room that should have been for him and Mary Lynette but was instead just occupied by him and sat on the bed. He wanted to cry. Mary-Lynette had sent him another letter. She didn't send many, no matter how many he sent her. Maybe she'd found someone else, maybe they were together at that very moment while he was alone in a mansion full of people, maybe…

"Stop it!" Ash yelled at the ceiling, "She'll wait. She loves you. She'll wait for you."

"But why does she love you?" he asked himself "when everyone else thinks you're worse than dirt? James'll never forgive you for taking his soulmate away, neither will Poppy. You almost crashed your cousin's soulmate's car. You manipulate human girls for fun."

He walked over to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, paying close attention to the fangs, and glared at himself in the mirror, "You're just a no-good-girl-manipulating-soulmate-stealing-car-crashing-fiend."

He walked back into the bedroom and over to his vanity case, taking the three letters out of the drawer. Back on the bed, he buried himself under the duvets while he read them, tracing the spidery handwriting with one hand.

"I love you Mary-Lynette," he told the paper, before putting it under his pillow.


	23. Chapter 23

**sheikgoddess**** – Gosh I heart you. If it wasn't for the occasional death threats lol. You rock! Thanks for reviewing so much P even when some parts of the story are crap lol. Luffles ya.**

**Anyway**

**Here's the chapter. **

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They had all been called down to the meeting room. It had been two weeks since Rashel and Quinn had turned up and tensions had seemed to have dropped. For the first week or so Quinn and Ash had regarded each other suspiciously, Quinn keeping his soulmate as far away as possible, but eventually each had realised that the other had no ulterior motives and formed a kind of truce. They didn't trust each other still, but at least they'd stopped glaring at one another over meals of sheep blood and Quinn and James seemed to be getting on great.

Rashel, on the other hand, had no one to talk to other than Quinn. She couldn't associate with the other girls, each with their obvious happiness or girliness. That was okay, she'd always been alone – at least now she had Quinn.

Thierry was grinning – absolutely ecstatic – and it shocked all of them in some way to see him like this. Happy. All the soulmate couples, a few daybreakers who were in the meeting, and Ash – who still claimed to _work _for Circle Daybreak, not to be part of it, were staring at him open mouthed as he paced the room, snapping his fingers and _grinning. _Thierry? _Grinning? _It was almost frightening.

He cleared his throat, "I know it's no secret that I have a human soulmate: Hana, and also that she's an old soul. Witches have told me that her carnation is soon to be seventeen," a dark look descended on his face, "and we have to find her. I'm sending my agents all around the country to find her." He paused a moment, "this might seem selfish, taking our resources away for one person."

Rashel opened her mouth, probably to agree that – yes – it was selfish, but Ash talked first. "No Thierry, it's not selfish. Anything but. None of us can know what you're going through, I've had to be away from Mary Lynette a few months and it's like hell, I can't imagine what millenniums of that is like," he looked down, "I'll personally do whatever I can to help you find Hana."

The room was silence, everyone staring at Ash in awe, "Gee Ash," James said, running a hand through his thick brown hair, "who'd actually know you _have _a heart?"

Ash winced, but said nothing.

"Thank you Ash," Thierry said, "I'm touched," and indeed he looked it, "but I have people looking for Hana. What I need right now is people to do things that I would normally assign the witches and shapeshifters I need for finding Hana on. Spying mainly. Some fighting. I want the soulmate couples to do them."

"Wont that be dangerous?" Gillian asked, a slight quiver in her voice.

"Probably," a new voice run out, "but you're living on the charity of Circle Daybreak, it's about time that you paid them back."

Everyone turned to see the new person. A stunning tall girl who moved with the grace of a cat was walking into the room, fallowed by two other girls, one with mink-hair and the other with auburn curls.

"Everyone, this is Keller," Thierry said with a sigh, "and her team. They're the best fighters Circle Daybreak have. I'll be sending Quinn, Rashel, Ash and Thea with them."

"Me?" Thea and Ash both cried at the same time. Quinn glared at Ash and Rashel just shrugged.

"Yes. Ash is trusted, and sometimes subtle action can get you further than busting in and causing havoc." He seemed to focus on Rashel when saying this, "Quinn and Rashel are fighters."

"And Thea?" Eric said angrily, "she's not a fighter."

"She's a Harman," Thierry intoned, "she can look after herself. And sometimes, there's injuries. Keller lost one of her team not long ago because of injuries that Winnie could not repair – not being a medical witch – we need someone powerful and trained in healing to be there."

Eric looked as though he was going to protest but Thea put a restraining hand on his arm, "it's okay, I'll be fine."

"I'm going too then," he said.

"You can't," she started but Thierry cut her off, "I had a feeling you'd want to go. You can go, but make sure you do _exactly _what Keller tells you to."

Eric nodded.

"as for the others. I want Poppy and James to take a vacation. Go see your father or something, you've done a lot of work for me lately and you should be rewarded for it. _Gillian, _find someone who will teach you to use your powers."

She nodded shortly and he moved on.

"I hope everything goes well, but if Maya finds Hana…I might not return. If that happens, then I'm leaving Ash in charge of Circle Daybreak, don't anyone give him any trouble."

There was stunned silence for a few minutes, which Thierry used to his advantage as he slipped out of the doors. Then everyone turned to stare, _"Ash!" _the yell seemed unanimous.

"How the _hell _did that happen?" Quinn asked the ceiling.


End file.
